Compact Fluorescent Bulbs

Picture is of an original piece of artwork by Etsy seller bellsakabin (Belinda Hall)-
Picture is copyright and can not be used or reproduced without permission from the artist

Switching to compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) is a way to use energy safely and wisely. These bulbs use 75% less energy and last up to ten times longer than the comparable incandescent bulbs, they can help reduce your energy bills while also reducing green house gases and fuel used to generate power.

If every American replaced just one incandescent bulb with a CFL bulb, it would save enough energy to light 3 MILLION homes a YEAR, and prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions of 800,000 vehicles!!

Source: Environment Protection Agency and Energy Star

Picture is of an original piece of artwork by Etsy seller ANiemanPhotography
Picture is copyright and can not be used or reproduced without permission from the artist

Moving to more efficient lighting is one of the lowest-cost ways for the nation to reduce electricity use and greenhouse gases. In fact, it actually will save households money because of lower utility bills. Ninety percent of the energy that an incandescent light bulb burns is wasted as heat. And yet, sales of the most common high-efficiency bulb available—the compact fluorescent (CFL)—amount to only 5 percent of the light bulb market. Earlier this year, Australia became the first country to announce an outright ban by 2010 on incandescent bulbs. The changeover in the United States will be more gradual, not mandated to begin until 2012 and phased out through 2014. However, don't be surprised if some manufacturers phase out earlier.

Each cone-shaped spiral CFL costs about $3, compared with 50 cents for a standard bulb. But a CFL uses about 75 percent less energy and lasts five years instead of a few months. A household that invested $90 in changing 30 fixtures to CFLs would save $440 to $1,500 over the five-year life of the bulbs, depending on your cost of electricity. Look at your utility bill and imagine a 12 percent discount to estimate the savings.

Consumers are rightly concerned about the toxic substance mercury that helps CFLs produce light. Even though the amount sealed in each bulb is small—one old-fashioned thermometer had about 100 times as much mercury—contact local trash collection for disposal instructions. Environmentalists agree that more work must be done on bulb recycling programs. Right now, you can return any CFL to any Ikea store for recycling, and the Environmental Protection Agency and Earth911 have sites you can search for other recycling programs near your home.

By the way, don't think that incandescent bulbs are mercury free. In the United States, the chances are at least 50 percent that their light is generated by a coal-powered plant featuring mercury as well as other types of pollution. Popular Mechanics recently crunched the numbers to find that even if the mercury in a CFL was directly released into the atmosphere, an incandescent would still contribute almost double that amount of mercury into the environment over its lifetime.

Source: U.S. News

If a Bulb does break in your home, follow these easy clean up steps CLICK HERE