Advances in lighting technology with the compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) have provided more efficient alternatives to the
incandescent lamp. After reviewing the following information you will be able to determine if CFL’s are for you!

Home Lighting Facts 

• CFL’s use 70 – 75 percent less energy than their incandescent equivalents. When replacing a 100 watt incandescent lamp a 28 watt CFL is used.
• CFL’s last approximately 7,000 – 15,000 hours, which is 7 to 20 times the life of an incandescent lamp (expected life
  approximately 750 hours).
• CFL’s are most cost-effective when used at least 2 – 3 hours per day. 
• Although CFL’s may appear different than the common incandescent, they fit most standard fixtures. The screw-in base is the same on both lamps. 
• CFL’s are four times more efficient than the typical incandescent lamp which uses 90 percent of the energy to produce heat rather than light. 
• The latest CFL’s have improved color rendition. The light is a warm tone that is almost identical to that of an incandescent lamp. Most people can’t tell the difference.
• The adjacent table lists several standard incandescent lamps and the appropriate CFL that can replace them. 

Incandescent	Compact Fluorescent
20 -Watt	5 - Watt
40 - Watt	11 - Watt
60 - Watt	15 - Watt
75 - Watt	20 - Watt
90 - Watt	23 - Watt
100 - Watt	28 - Watt
	The CFL will provide the same amount of light (or lumens) at a fraction of the electricity used.

The following illustration demonstrates the cost of using a CFL versus an equivalent incandescent lamp for 10,000 hours.

INCANDESCENT	COMPACT FLUORESCENT
75 - Watt	20 - Watt
Total Cost $69.21	Total Cost $23.79

Note: The price for the CFL is $7.00 with an expected life of 10,000 hours. An incandescent lamp is $.50 with an expected life of 750 hours. Electricity charge = 9.25 KWH.
If you operated the CFL in the above scenario for 4 hours a day the expected life of that lamp is 7 years, with a payback of 1.08 years when compared to an incandescent lamp.
Lighting cost can account for a significant portion of your electrical usage. If your intent is to become more efficient and lower your electric bill, install CFL’s. You can save money and energy with little if any inconvenience.