Jake had a bright idea today. He decided that he would replace the light bulbs in the house with compact fluorescent lamps (CFL). This idea came to him as his was browsing through one of the local stores. The store was having a sale on compact fluorescent lamps and Jake decided that this was probably a good time to make the investment.So, why compact fluorescent lamps do you ask? Well, if we are to believe the manufacturer's claims, each lamp should save $47 worth of electricity over it's life time. The lamps that Jake purchased use 13 watts of electricity and provide the same amount of light as a 60 watt light bulb. Additionally, the lamps are advertised to last much longer than a standard lamp. The packaging states that each lamp will last approximately 10,000 hours or 5-7 years of normal usage. The lamps cost Jake $2.50 each so they are a little more costly than a standard light bulb. Electricity costs the Pohick family approximately $136 each month on average for their all-electric house in Northern Alabama. If the lamps manage to save a modest 5% from their electric bill they will provide a savings of approximately $80 per year. In the grand scheme of things, this is about what it take to fill up the car with a tank of gas these days, but every little bit helps. On the plus side, the lamps should pay for themselves in a few months and Jake won't have to change the light bulbs as often.
According to the US government, if every American home replaced just one light bulb with an ENERGY STAR qualified bulb, we would save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes for a year, more than $600 million in annual energy costs, and prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions of more than 800,000 cars.
Wikipedia Link: Compact Fluorescent Lamps
Government Link: Compact Fluorescent Lamps
