The World and Me.: CFL (Compact Fluorescent Lamp) light bulbs save money and energy

**WARNING CFL BULBS CONTAIN MERCURY! PLEASE DISPOSE OF PROPERALLY**

CFL stands for Compact Fluorescent Lamp

In the beginning of December i replaced most of the light bulbs in my house with CFL bulbs. I will eventually compare electric bills from November 2008, with regular bulbs, and December 2008, with CFLs.

"A CFL bulb uses up to 75% less energy than old-fashioned bulbs. Saves $30 in energy costs! Every bulb changed means less pollution, lower costs and reduced demand for electricity. That means cleaner, healthier air, environmental and public health benefits." - Project Porchlight

How do CFL bulbs work?
"The compact fluorescent lamp emits its efficient light through an arc of electricity that is created between two filaments. When compared to an incandescent lamp, the small amount of electricity that is used in a CFL creates radiation which emits ultraviolet light. When this light is emitted, it causes a reaction in the phosphor coating on the inside surface of the bulb. The reaction creates a bright visible light. " - www.compactfluorescentlamp.com
The way the CFL bulb is constructed, it is able to produce the same amount of light as say a 60 watt incandescent bulb using only 15 watts!

**WARNING CFL BULBS CONTAIN MERCURY! PLEASE DISPOSE OF PROPERALLY**

How long do they last?
The name brand CFL bulbs i purchased, Energy Smart 60, 15watt, 5 bulb multi pack, general purpose, say they last 8 years or 12,000 hours! The bulbs are guaranteed to last 8 years and will be replaced if they fail before then. The cheaper 15 watt Maxlite CFL claims to last 10,000 hours and has a 2 year guarantee.

How much do they cost and save?
CFLs in general are more expensive then regular incandescent light bulbs. I found cheap Maxlite 13 watt CFL bulbs at Walgreen's for $0.99 this is considerably cheap for a CFL. This CFL claims to saves $60.00 in energy cost. I picked up a 5 pack Energy Smart 15 watt bulb that cost me about 17 bucks, which rounds to be about $3.50 per CFL bulb.

Conclusion:
I think this is a great way to save you money, in the long run. CFL bulbs are very energy efficient and are super environmentally friendly, but they are expensive to replace a whole house at once. The best approach is to change a regular light bulb one at a time over a period of time.

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