New year, new bulbs
Newroom | Consumer News | New year, new bulbs
As of Jan. 1, federal law prohibits the production of the traditional 100-watt bulb. It's part of a 2007 law, the Energy Independence and Security Act, designed to improve lighting efficiency and save consumers nearly $6 billion a year by 2015.
Even before the new standards, CUB Energy Saver, the free online service that's been showing people how to cut their utility bills by about $130 a year, said replacing old incandescents with Compact Fluorescent Light (CFL) bulbs is one of the easiest ways to reduce pollution and "save a lot of money."
On Friday, Jan. 13, CUB is giving away 50 Compact Fluorescent Light (CFL) bulbs to three lucky CUB Energy Saver users. Not a member? Join now (it's free) and create a plan to cut your power bills.
CFLs use about 75 percent less energy and can last eight-to-10 times longer, which means they can pay for themselves in a short time. "It's pretty much a no-brainer, so start saving money and carbon today," CUB Energy Saver says.
Light Bulb Efficiency
Energy Star, the federal program that labels highly efficient light bulbs, reports that if every American home replaced just one light bulb with an Energy Star-labeled CFL, the country could save about $600 million in annual energy costs and prevent the amount of pollution caused by 800,000 cars. Energy Star has some helpful facts and tips about CFLs.
Incandescent Bulb Energy Usage (Watts)
Minimum Light Output (Lumens)
CFL Bulb Energy Usage (Watts)
25
250
4 to 9
40
450
9 to 13
60
800
13 to 15
75
1,100
18 to 25
100
1,600
23 to 30
125
2,000
28 to 40
150
2,600
30 to 52
New federal standards require light bulbs to produce the same amount of light, but use less energy. This chart shows just how much energy is saved by using a CFL, compared with an incandescent that produces the same amount of light.
Replace your home's five most frequently used bulbs with Energy Star-qualified CFLs and you can save more than $65 a year.
Save leftover incandescent bulbs for fixtures where CFLs aren't suitable (like in a closet where the light would only be on for a few minutes at a time, or for a dimmable fixture if you don't have a dimmable CFL).
To take full advantage of the energy savings and long life of Energy Star-qualified CFLs, it is best to use them in light fixtures you use the most and are on for at least 15 minutes at a time. Good locations include outdoor light fixtures, indoor fixtures in the living room, family room, kitchen, bedroom, recreation room, etc. Remember, it's still a good habit to turn the lights off when you leave the room for an extended period of time.
CFL prices range from $2 to $15 (for specialty bulbs), but save you about $30 or more per bulb in energy savings over their lifetime, more than offsetting their initial cost.
If you wish to use a CFL on a dimmer, look for bulbs that indicate they are compatible with dimmers on their packaging.
Under the law, the production of standard 75-watt bulbs will end next January, and standard 40- and 60-watt bulbs will no longer be made beginning January 2014. The Department of Energy says 22 types of traditional incandescent bulbs are exempt, including three-way lights, colored party lights, appliance bulbs, and plant lights. EnergyStar.gov can help you find Energy Star-qualified regular and specialty bulbs that meet the new standards. Also, read CUB's fact sheet on CFLs.