One way to help save energy in your home is switching from standard “incandescent” light bulbs to fluorescent ones. Fluorescent bulbs use 2/3 less energy than standard bulbs to provide the same amount of light, and last 9 times longer. Not only do they save energy, but they save you money – at least $30 in energy costs over each bulb’s lifetime. Fluorescent bulbs also generate 70% less heat, so they’re safer to operate and can help keep your home cooler in the summer months.
If every American home replaced just one standard light bulb with a fluorescent one, we could prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emission of nearly 800,000 cars.
And don’t worry – the style of your home won’t suffer from this light bulb switch.
Many people think that fluorescent lights only come in huge long tubes like you see in most offices or stores, but now fluorescent bulbs come in all kinds of sizes, including these standard ones that can fit in any household lamp.
And gone are the days of fluorescent lighting only being a harsh, bright white. Now, there are bulbs with a softer, warmer glow that fit great into any home.
And from one of our viewers comes this email from "Ask Ed"…
"Now you’ve done it! My husband is outside in the dark changing light bulbs! Now I’m living with Dave!" – Christine
Yes, and flourescent light bulbs contain mercury. My state considers them to be hazardous waste. To check on the laws in your state visit: http://www.lightbulbrecycling.com/regulations.htm….
Yes, these light bulbs do save energy, but you have to be extremely careful to not break them. In some states, they consider these broken light bulbs to be hazardous waste.
If you break one on a carpet, in particular, you'll either have to:
1. replace the carpet, which is expensive, or 2. live with hazardous waste in your living room.
People with young children should especially be cautioned. Never use a vacuum to clean one of these broke light bulbs, because you stir the mercury vapor up into the air, and have to throw your vacuum away. Immediately evacuate the room if you break a light bulb for at least 15 minutes and if it is on a carpet, use duct tape to try and get all the "invisible particles."
So yes these light bulbs save a lot of energy, but be VERY careful to not break them and also check the rules of your city's disposal methods.