Mar 20

Benefits of CFLs

Save Energy

CFLs use roughly 1/4 as much energy as incandescent bulbs. This means that you can light a 60 Watt fixture using as little as 13 watts of electricity. Lighting accounts for about 15% of total residential energy consumption in the U.S., and 23% of commercial consumption, so making some updates can really reduce your energy consumption in a meaningful way.

Save Money

As mentioned above, CFLs can save a significant amount of energy. This also translates into some serious cost savings as well. The EPA estimates that the average CFL pays for itself in just 6 months. Below is a chart that includes average savings based on rates of 10 cents per kilowatt hour and 20 cents per kilowatt hour, but regardless of what you’re paying for electricity, reduced consumption is good news for your wallet.

Incandescent	CFL	Lumens	Cost Savings ($0.10/kWh)	Cost Savings ($0.20/kWh)	CO2 Savings (lbs)
40W	11-12W	> 490	$39 - $44	$78 - $88	507 - 572
60W	13-18W	> 900	$62 - $68	$124 - $136	806 - 884
75W	19-22W	> 1,200	$76 - $83	$152 - $166	988 - 1,079
100W	23-26W	> 1,750	$107 - $112	$214 - $224	1,391 - 1,456
150W	38-42W	> 2,600	$163 - $169	$326 - $338	2,119 - 2,197

Save the Environment

The U.S. is the largest consumer of electricity, and roughly 70% of that electricity is generated using fossil fuels (natural gas, coal, petroleum). Only 7% is generated from renewable sources such as hydroelectric, wind, and solar. This means that your decision to reduce consumption in your home or business has a real impact on the environment. It only takes one CFL in each American household to save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes for a year, save about $700 million in annual energy costs, and prevent 9 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions per year, equivalent to the emissions of about 800,000 cars.

Get More Light

One secondary benefit of CFLs that people don’t often realize is that they can be an excellent solution to a “too little light” problem. If you aren’t getting enough light out of your 60 watt fixture, for example, you can switch to a 23 watt CFL. This will give you the equivalent of 100 watts in light output without exceeding the maximum wattage of your lamp, which can be dangerous.

For more information about making the switch to CFLs, see “How to Pick a Better Bulb” in the “Helpful Resources” section below. If you still have questions about what would best fit your lighting needs, contact one of our lighting specialists at 888-203-6360.