See, I told you it was easy to make your house more energy efficient. There are many steps you can take to make your home more energy efficient.
This month's improvement - compact flourescent lights (CFLs) - should cost you less than $20. That's a small price to pay for what I believe is the greatest advancement in lighting since Thomas Edison's invention of the incandescent light bulb. In fact, CFLs are so great that I just know that Thomas would be proud of us.
When CFLs were first introduced, they cost about $9 each and blinked when they first came on. Well, since then, "they've come a long way, baby." If you buy them in the four-pack, they now cost about $3 each.
I want you to buy at least four CFLs and install them in your most used locations. (In my house, that would be the garage door opener light). I am aware that they may not fit in some older appliances. They are available for recessed lighting too, in both spotlight and floodlight designs.
So just what is the advantage of a CFL? First of all, the CFL uses two thirds less electricity than an equal-watt incandescent bulb. And since the CFL operates at a much lower temperature, they last much longer - in fact, they can last up to 10 times longer than a standard bulb. The filaments of the hotter burning incandescent bulbs simply burn out sooner because of the heat.
Next, consider this. Ninety percent of the energy of incandescent bulbs turn into heat and 10 percent goes for light. In a CFL, 90 percent of the energy goes for light and only 10 percent for heat. (See how this might help reduce your cooling load in the summer.)
Now, for the really good part. By the time the CFL burns out, you will have saved at least what it cost you to buy the original four CFLs. By simply replacing a 100-watt incandescent bulb with a 32-watt CFL, you can save about $30 in energy costs over the life of the bulb. Now, let's see....$30 times four bulbs equals $120 saved. Duh-no-brainer!
By Doug Rye - Reprinted from Kansas Country Living - April 2010
