Are CFLs as great of an investment as I’ve heard?  Jane, Hanover, NH

David Wax - CEO - Independence Energy Homes and Free Green

A good way to go green is by starting small.

Sure, recycling cans and bottles is a pretty standard practice and throwing away used batteries is no longer a habit of yours, but what about taking it a step further?

Did you know that replacing incandescent bulbs (typical household light bulbs) in your home with compact fluorescent bulbs (aka CFLs) is a small task with big benefits?

According to Energy Star, if every home in America replaced only one bulb we could:

• Light more than 3 million homes for an entire year with the energy saved;
• Save $600 million in annual energy costs; and
• Reduce green house gases equaling the emissions of 800,000 cars.

Replacing the incandescent bulbs in your home with CFLs can make a big difference too. According to Energy Star, CFLs use up to 75% less energy and last 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs, saving about $30 per bulb over its life time. They come in all sorts of shapes and sizes so you don’t have to worry about fitting your existing fixtures. And if that’s not enough, CFLs produce 75% less heat, something you can be thankful for during the summer months.

Manufacturers even label CFL packaging for those who are use to reading wattage, for example, the package might read 75 Watt Replacement. CFLs can also provide either warm or cool light since not all tasks require the same quality of light. Last but not least, CFLs have come down significantly in price. I just bought a 10 pack of 60 watt equivalent CFLs for $3.49 after rebates!

One concern about CFLs is that they contain a small amount of mercury, which leads to certain disposal requirements. However, according to Wendy Reed, head of Energy Star’s CFL program, the amount of mercury in a fluorescent light is actually less than the amount emitted into the environment from an incandescent bulb (see an NPR story about this here). This is true since CFLs use less of the electricity from coal-based power plants, which emit mercury in energy production. Because of the mercury, proper disposal is required. Energy Star has a great fact sheet on all things CFL and resources for disposal.

So, next time you take out the ladder to switch that burnt-out bulb remember, replacing your old bulb with an incandescent one means 13 times you don’t have climb back up there.

To estimate your energy savings using Energy Star’s light bulb calculator, click here.