Compact Fluorescent Light Bulb Review

About six months ago I started to make the change at my house to using compact fluorescent light bulbs. It was a change I should have made long ago. Compact fluorescents last longer, save on your energy bill, and help the environment. If you don't believe me, let's look at the numbers.

Longer lasting

A 13 watt (equivalent of 60 watt incandescent) compact fluorescent light bulb has an average life of 10,000 hours! A typical incandescent light bulb has a life of about 1,000 hours. If you keep your lights on about 3 hours a day, the compact fluorescent is going to last about eight years longer than an incandescent bulb! The lack of maintenance alone makes it worth making the switch.

Energy savings

Many people don't buy compact fluorescents because they cost more initially. You have to look at the big picture. Because a compact fluorescent only uses 13 watts to produce the same amount of light that a 60 watt incandescent does, the energy savings really add up.

In their 10,000 hour life span compact fluorescents will save 470 kilowatt-hours of electricity. On my most recent electric bill a kilowatt-hour was 11 cents. Do the math and the savings come out to $51.70! That's just for one light bulb. Think about how many light bulbs you have in your house. You can buy a pack of four compact fluorescents from Walmart for less than eight dollars. It is definitely worth the slightly higher upfront cost when you save over $50 in the long run.

The environment

Less energy used, means less pollution created. If everyone makes the switch to compact fluorescents it will make a big difference in pollution levels. You also will have to buy fewer light bulbs, which means there will be less light bulbs filling up landfills.

Are compact fluorescents always the answer?