Considering energy saving light bulbs? My wife and I just made the big switch and I’m happy to tell you that it was definitely well worth it. In fact, the process has even convinced us to begin exploring energy saving water heaters and other new technologies too.
Initially, my wife thought I was completely nuts when I shared my latest energy saving scheme with her. Even though it saves money in the long run, spending hundreds of dollars for new lightbulbs seems like a radical idea.
Checking out several energy savings calculators together, I was finally able to convince her this was a great idea after all. We went from room to room with pen and paper, keeping tally of how many and what wattage bulbs we’d need to purchase.
There are several types of energy saving light bulbs available, from popular compact fluorescents (CFLs) to the promising but not yet perfected LED variety. CFLs are widely available and have been totally refined compared to the novelties you might remember from a few years ago. They turn on instantly, don’t flicker, and have pleasantly bright light quality.
But here’s where it gets really cool – A 22 watt CFL replaces a traditional 100 watt incandescent, an 18 watt bulb for the old 75 watt standby, and so on. Although initially more expensive to buy, they’ll last way longer than the old burnouts.
Skipping over three-ways and specialty appliance bulbs, we ended up purchasing a total of 18 energy saving bulbs at the cost of nearly $55. We even found decorative style bulbs that look just like their traditional counterparts, not like weird ice cream swirl cones plugged into a ceiling fan.
Installing all these new lights did take some time, but even though the CFLs are often a bit larger sized, with the exception of just one lamp, all the bulbs fit just fine in the fixtures throughout our home. We were instantly pleased with the light output and knowing that we’re also saving tons of energy at the same time.
The best part comes with the first electricity bill after the switch. We saved almost $10 that first month alone. Imagine how the future savings will add up at that rate. It’s certainly worth the investment!