Fewer daylight hours and cooler temperatures mean many Americans spend more time inside during the fall and winter months. While up to half of the energy used in a typical home goes towards heating and cooling, water heaters, appliances and lighting contribute to energy bills too. Swapping traditional light bulbs for compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) is one of the easiest ways to start saving energy at home.
When you change your clocks this weekend, why not change a few light bulbs, too? Look for light bulbs that have earned the Energy Star, which means they meet strict energy efficiency guidelines from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy. Consider this:
- Swapping one traditional bulb for an Energy Star bulb can save 40 dollars or more over the lifetime of the bulb. Swap five and save 200 dollars or more!
- If every American home replaced just one traditional bulb with an Energy Star qualified CFL, we would save enough energy to light up three million homes for a year.
- An average Energy Star qualified light bulb is built to last about 8,000 hours – that's more than seven years with typical household use.
Take Energy Star's printable CFL Purchasing Guide to the store with you to help you choose the right light bulbs for your home: www.energystar.gov/ia/products/lighting/cfls/downloads/purchasing_checklist.pdf
