Electricity has done wonderful things for our quality of life. We have wonderful machines that wash and dry our clothes, wash our dishes, vacuum our floors, etc. We also can have safe, bright, light at any hour of the day with the flick of a switch. These things do come at a cost, and although it may not be a huge amount, every dollar adds up. Take light for instance. Since Edison invented the light bulb, it has remained basically the same - until now. In the last few years a new light source has come on the scene that is a direct replacement for the “old tech” resistance light bulb.
The new source is referred to as a CFL (Compact Fluorescent Light). These are fluorescent lights that screw right into the same socket as an “old tech” bulb, but use less than a quarter of the electricity to make the same amount of light. At my house, we have replaced every possible bulb we could with a CFL bulb. Why? Because the payback is phenomenal and there are ancillary benefits. A standard 60 watt bulb costs around $.50 depending on where you buy it. A 13 watt CFL bulb costs around $2.00 (less if you get them at Sam’s in 8-packs). The 13 watt CFL emits approximately the same amount of lumens (a measure of light) as a 60 watt “old tech” bulb. In addition, the CFL bulb lasts approximately 8000 hours, versus 1000 hours for the “old tech” bulb. How does this work out financially? Well, during the expected life of one 13 watt CFL bulb, you will save approximately $38 in electricity costs at $.10/KWH and $4.00 in light bulb costs. Hence, for you $2.00 investment, you return $42.00. This is not your father’s light bulb. Multiply this by the number of light bulbs in your house. This is a good deal! Then add in the fact that you don’t have to mess around with replacing bulbs near as often (especially in that spot where you have to stand on the top rung of the ladder) and you have a real winner.
You might ask, in the “old tech” bulbs, where do those other 47 watts (60-13) go? Well, the “old tech” bulbs turn the other 47 watts in to heat. That’s right, heat. Ever touch one that has been on for a while? It is hot! We even use them to keep pipes from freezing, keep the doghouse warm in the winter, etc. So there are even more benefits to the CFL bulb. It doesn’t put as much load on your air conditioner in the summer, saving you more money. It doesn’t discolor the things around it because of the heat given off.
You can buy these bulbs at Lowes, Sam’s Club, Menards, etc. They are usually cheapest in multi packs. You can also get 100 watt equivalents that use about 24 watts and I just saw outdoor flood lights last week for the first time at Lowes. They even make one that has the same shape as an “old tech” bulb to use with the lamp shades that clamp on to the top of the bulb.
Finally, it reduces our need for foreign oil, reduces the demand for new power plants, and requires less coal to be mined. Does it get any better than that? Till next time….
