Compact Fluorescent Bulbs

An Easy Way to Start Living More Green

One of the simplest things you can do around your home to save energy, money and to start living more green is to change out old-fashioned incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs.  CFL’s produce the same amount of light as traditional light bulbs but use significantly less energy.  Just one CFL can save the user up to $30 per year in electricity costs.  They also produce 75% less heat than traditional incandescent, so are much safer to operate.  CFL’s can also save up to 2000 times their own weight in greenhouse gases, due to lowered electricity uses.  They also last up to 10 times longer than traditional light bulbs.

CFL’s are very easy for the homeowner to install.  Traditional fluorescent lights, the long tubes that most people are familiar with, were often impractical for the homeowner. Special fixtures, ballasts, and other associated accessories necessary for their proper operation were too inconvenient for the average homeowner.  With the advent of compact fluorescent bulbs, though, it is as easy to install CFL’s as it is to install traditional incandescent bulbs.  They simply screw into the sockets on existing fixtures.

CFL’s, far from being a niche product, are available just about everywhere now.  They can be found in just about any store that sells light bulbs, so homeowners won’t have to search through specialty catalogs or visit special stores in order to find them.  They can pick up their CFL’s while doing the grocery shopping, or while purchasing other supplies at a home improvement store.

Some people have reservations about CFL’s, especially when it comes to the quality of light.  While the same amount is produced but with less energy, some worry that the color of the light can look “different” or “strange.”  While this was true with older style fluorescent bulbs, which often gave a green cast to everything, CFL’s are available in a variety of color temperatures and very faithfully reproduce colors and the feel of traditional bulbs.

Care must be taken when disposing of CFL’s.  They do contain a small amount of mercury, so simply throwing them away will have negative impact on the environment.  There are many companies and organizations that will take used CFL’s for recycling.  The best option is to use the City of San Antonio’s Household Hazardous Waste Dropoff Center, located at 7030 Culebra Road.  It is very important to recycle and not throw away CFL’s to avoid putting mercury into the environment.

CFL’s are an exciting alternative to traditional incandescent bulbs.  They use significantly less energy, they last much longer, save money, and help reduce harmful emissions.   Switching to CFL’s from traditional incandescent is a little step that goes a long way to living green.