The CFL Bulb Hype
I don’t know about you, but it seems like every time I turn around I hear about CFL (compact fluorescent lamp) bulbs. For a long time I paid no attention because I thought I wasn’t interested in them, especially when I saw how much they cost. Then, last week my husband came home with a box of them because the grocery store (of all places!) had a pack of four on sale for $2.99.
We put them into our most commonly used lamps: the boys’ bedroom, the living room, the bedroom and the porch light. I was so impressed that we got a second pack of them and added one in our walk in closet. Where the last three wind up remains to be seen, but I’m quite glad we got these because they are beneficial for many reasons.
CFL Bulbs Save Energy
They use up to 75 percent less energy than a regular bulb.
CFL Bulbs Save Money
If you’re like me, you may be turned off by the initial cost. However, they more than pay for themselves due to the fact that they last up to 10 times longer than a regular bulb. Secondly, they use up to 75% less energy than a regular bulb. A 75 watt CFL only uses 18-25 watts.
CFL Bulbs Save the Earth
CFL bulbs produce less greenhouse emissions which can help reduce global warming.
The Downside
One of the only downsides is that CFL bulbs contain a small amount of mercury which means you cannot dispose of them in the trash and you have to take special precautions if one of them breaks. EnergyStar has a great article on how to properly dispose of and clean up spills.
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If there are any dimmable lights in your place, instead of buying the more expensive dimmable CFLs, you can cheaply replace the light to be a normal switch, and use normal bulbs!