OCTOBER TIP: Energy Efficient Lightbulbs

Before your next trip to Wal-mart or Target count how many light bulbs you use in your home. Decide you're going to replace all, or maybe just a room per visit, of your traditional bulbs with energy efficient fluorescent light bulbs. This will save you money in the long run because these bulbs last up to 5 years, and are just as bright as your old ones.

This is just a simple, economical step you can take that isn't too hard and helps our God-given, beautiful planet. If every American home replaced their 5 most frequently used light fixtures or the bulbs in them with CFLBs, we would save close to $8 billion each year in energy costs, and would prevent the greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions from nearly 10 million cars.

Here is a quick Q&A about CFLBs:

• How much will this bulb save me in energy costs?
  Each bulb will save $38 in energy costs over the life of the bulb, based on $0.10 per kWh.
  
• What is the cost per bulb?
  Approximately $1.65 per bulb.
• How long will one bulb last?
  One 13 watt Energy Smart^TM light bulb is rated for 8,000 hours -- as long as eight 60 watt conventional Soft White incandescent bulbs.
  Each bulb is guaranteed to last 8,000 hours or 5 years based on average consumer use of 4 hours per day at 120V.
• How much energy does each bulb use?
  Each bulb uses 13 watts and produces as much light as a conventional 60 watt bulb. This will reduce energy use by more than 75%.
• How big is one bulb; will it fit in my existing fixtures?
  Each bulb is approximately 5.1 inches tall and 1.75 inches wide. It can be used with most household light coverings. Please refer to the image above to view the size comparison to an incandescent bulb.

Key benefits, compared to standard incandescent light bulbs:

• Lasts up to 8 times longer
• Uses 75% less energy, saving money on energy bills
• Same quality of light as Soft White bulbs
• Stays cooler
• Goes on instantly, flicker-free