Community Corner
How Many Environmentalists Does It Take to Change a Light Bulb?
A simple change in your home or office can save major energy—and major dollars, too.
One thing that we all use at home no matter what the season is light bulbs. But those seemingly harmless bulbs that brighten our homes and light our way are unnecessarily zapping your energy efficiency and your wallet.
You may have heard about compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs), a fluorescent light bulb that has been compressed into the size of a standard incandescent light bulb. The CFL bulb uses somewhere in the area of 75 percent less energy than traditional bulbs.
Perhaps you've even thought about making the switch yourself. If you've looked into it, and still haven't made he switch, I'm willing to bet that price is the issue.
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Typically, the incandescent bulbs you probably have now cost around $5 for a four-pack of bulbs. A typical CFL bulb costs around $8. This may seem like a lot, but given the fact that CFLs last an average of 10 times longer, and use so much less energy, making the switch will save energy and money.
Just remember that not all CFLs are equal. Be sure to look for bulbs labeled with the Energy Star emblem. Earning the Energy Star means the products meet strict energy-efficiency guidelines set by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Every bulb that has earned the Energy Star can save more than $40 in electricity costs over its lifetime.
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According to the EPA, if every American home replaced just one regular light bulb with a light bulb that's earned the Energy Star, we would save enough energy to light 3 million homes for a year, save about $600 million in annual energy costs, and prevent 9 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions per year.
In our home, each time one of our incandescent bulbs would burn out, we would replace it with a CFL bulb. Since we started switching out bulbs, I have yet to replace one single CFL bulb. The very first bulb that we started with about four years ago is still burning in my hallway ceiling light.
Saving money, saving energy, saving the planet. All by simply changing a light bulb.
