Light bulb Facts
Almost half of the electricity used by industry is for lighting. In homes, up to
25 percent of our electric bill is for lighting. Most of the light is produced by
incandescent light bulbs, using the same technology developed in 1879 by Thomas
Edison. These bulbs are surprisingly inefficient, converting up to 90 percent of
the electricity they consume into heat.
If the country converted to new technologies, the electricity consumed to produce
light could be reduced by up to 70 percent! This would lower carbon dioxide emissions
equivalent to removing one-third of the nation's cars from the highways. Reducing
the electricity consumed by just one percent would eliminate the need for an average-sized
power plant.
Recent developments have produced compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) that are four
times as efficient as incandescent bulbs and last up to ten times longer. These
new bulbs fit almost any socket, produce a warm glow and, unlike the earlier models,
no longer flicker and dim.
Over the life of the bulbs, CFLs cost the average consumer less than half the cost
of traditional incandescent bulbs for the same amount of light. In addition, CFLs
produce very little heat, reducing the need for air conditioning in warm weather.
Why doesn't everyone use CFLs?
Few people realize that converting to CFLs can save so much money and electricity.
Many people see the price tag and think they're getting a great bargain when they
buy 10 incandescent for the same amount of money. They don't understand that they
can reduce their electric bills by about 75% percent with CFLs.
There are many myths about CFLs; we’ve tried to answer most questions about CFLs
below: