Fluorescent Bulbs: An Environmental Solution

CFLs Slash Environmental Impact, Costs As the public becomes more conscious of environmental concerns, we all are looking for ways to decrease our environmental impact. Using compact fluorescent lamps is an easy way to make a big difference, greatly reducing electricity use by the average homeowner.

Compact fluorescent light bulbs provide a green way to save both money and the environment.

These light bulbs use far less electricity than incandescent light bulbs, costing owners less money. Compact fluorescent light bulbs are simply small versions of larger fluorescent lights, which screw into compact fluorescent lamp sockets or standard sockets.

How CFLs Save You Money CFLs save their owners money because they use less electricity and have to be replaced less often than incandescent bulbs. On average, lighting a home consumes about a quarter of that home’s energy budget. By reducing the amount of electricity used for lighting, homeowners can save.

For example, a 75-watt incandescent bulb can be replaced with a 20-watt CFL bulb that only uses 20 watts. Over 3,000 hours, applying an average per kilowatt cost of 8 cents, a 75-watt bulb will cost $48 to run. The 20-watt CFL will cost just $12.80. Apply this to several rooms of a home, and it’s plain to see that CFLs offer real savings. Also, CFL light bulbs last much longer than incandescent bulbs. Incandescent bulbs can burn for up to 10 years, while incandescent bulbs typically die after one. CFL bulbs can result in lower replacement costs because of their longevity.

How CFLs Save the Environment CFLs are vastly more efficient than incandescent light bulbs, using 50 to 80 percent less energy than the older model of light bulbs. Electrical generation has an impact on the environment, creating carbon emissions and, by consuming less energy, this impact can be reduced.

Replacing just one incandescent light bulb with a compact fluorescent lamp can keep 450 pounds of carbon dioxide out of the air over the bulb’s lifetime. Carbon dioxide emissions are a prime contributor to climate change, a condition threatening ecosystems around the world with wild variances in weather and hotter temperatures.

Industry experts estimate that if every American household used compact fluorescent lamps, the nation could shutter about 90 power plant facilities. Shutting down these facilities would cut carbon dioxide emissions, nuclear waste, and sulfur oxide -- all byproducts of generating electricity.

Households and businesses seeking green power solutions like compact fluorescent lamps can find smart and affordable products from Telecom Electric Supply Company. TES provides CFLs, industrial batteries, wholesale batteries, and more, to environment- and cost-conscious customers.