Switching to Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs...

Is it worth it?

We all know that Compact Fluorescent Light (CFL) Bulbs use less energy – but they cost more to buy – so is it worth it?  Being the energy cheapskates we are, we conducted a test to see for ourselves!  We ran a 60-watt incandescent bulb for 4 hours and measured the amount of energy it used, which was .27 kw hours.  We then ran a 13-watt CFL bulb (the equivalent light output to a 60 watt regular bulb) and realized it would take almost 19 ½ hours to use the same amount of electricity.
 
So what does this mean in real money?  Obviously that depends on your kw cost.  Current electricity costs in Dallas range between just under .11 cents per kilowatt-hour to over 15 cents per kilowatt-hour. We used a 12-cent per kw/hour for this example.  
 
Let’s say on average you have 5 light bulbs turned on each day for 3 hours.  Over the course of the year, if you used regular bulbs, the amount of electricity used would be 328.5 kw hours – or $39.42.  
 
But if you used CFL bulbs, the amount of electricity used for the year would only be 67.6 kw hours – or $8.11 worth of electricity!
 
But that’s not all…CFL bulbs last 10 times as long as a regular light bulb, and they put out a lot less heat.  That means in the summer you don’t have to run the air-conditioning more to cool the extra heat being generated off your light bulbs!

We know that in our own home, we have significantly cut our energy bill by utilizing these bulbs and taking advantage of other insider energy saving secrets.