Shedding Light on New Bulbs

Standard incandescent light bulbs may soon become a thing of the past. Under the Clean Energy Act of 2007, the sale of energy-inefficient incandescent bulbs will be phased out over a two-year period, beginning with 100-watt bulbs in January 2012. Compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) have become the most popular replacement choice. The typical CFL uses 66 percent less energy and lasts up to ten times longer than an incandescent bulb.


Making the switch to CFLs doesn’t require that you throw out all your incandescent bulbs right away. Even a gradual change can result in significant savings. Just replacing your home’s five most frequently used light fixtures can save you more than $65 each year, as CFLs provide the most savings when a lighting source is used for at least two hours a day. You can continue to use incandescent bulbs for fixtures that are only on for a few minutes at a time, such as closet lights, changing to CFLs as your supply of incandescent bulbs runs out.