Compact fluorescent bulbs use 66% less energy than a standard incandescent bulb, and last up to 10 times longer, says Energy Star.com. Replacing a 100-watt incandescent with a 32-watt CFL can save a homeowner $30 in energy costs over the life of a bulb. These bulbs are safer than a typical halogen bulb, which are frequently used in floor lamps and burn at 1,000F. These types of bulbs provide the same amount of light as a standard bulb, but have lower wattage. By having less wattage, they use less energy and create less pollution. These bulbs were introduced in the 80's, work the same way as a regular bulb, and are smaller and fit into spaces designed for incandescent bulbs. The remarkable thing about these bulbs is they "operate on a quarter of the energy used by incandescent, and last ten times longer," says consumerenergycenter.org.
When comparing bulbs at the local store, look at the watts a bulb uses.
"One lumen is equivalent to light given off by one candle," says consumerenergycenter.org. "A watt is the amount of electricity a light bulb uses to produce light; it is not an indication of brightness." For example, a 13-watt compact fluorescent light bulb produces as much light as a traditional 60-watt incandescent bulb. It uses the same amount of light, but less energy, which equals savings.
"It's very hard to get over the initial costs of compact fluorescent bulbs," says Dan Moore, a senior account manager for PNM, New Mexico's largest electricity and natural gas provider. "These bulbs cost about three times more than a regular bulb, which honestly turn a lot of people off to the new technology," he says.
"However, a few years ago, consumer reports conducted a study of incandescent light bulbs compared to compact fluorescent. They compared a 50-cent incandescent light bulb to a $20 compact fluorescent. Up front there is a huge difference in the initial savings between the two prices. The consumer report conducted a life cycle evaluation of costs in their efficiency and the replacements that would be needed over time. They compared the initial cost of the bulb, the bulb replacements (because the incandescent have to be changed 10 or 11 times during that cycle) to the energy savings, and they came up with a $23 savings by using a compact fluorescent bulb, even when you took into account that you paid 20 bucks for it," says Moore.
This shows that the more expensive fluorescent light bulb will produce savings in the long run, put off less pollution, and will last much longer than the cheaper incandescent light bulb.
