| Like most people I've heard repeatedly how | | | | So $1.65 in bulbs plus $10.51 for electricity is |
| switching my lights to compact florescent bulbs | | | | $12.16 per bulb, per year. Multiply that out times |
| can save you money and helps save the | | | | 24 bulbs and 7 years, that is $2,042.88 I spend |
| environment and I actually have a couple. I've | | | | every 7 years on lighting. |
| always really wondered though, is it REALLY | | | | Florescent Lights |
| worth it? Am I going to save a significant amount, | | | | The compact florescent have the startup cost of |
| or even enough to cover the cost of the bulb? I | | | | buying 24 bulbs. Just checked the prices at and it |
| wanted to find out how much I'd save by | | | | looks like it's going to cost me $40 total. |
| switching all my incandescent lights to florescent. | | | | Since I won't need to change these bulbs for the |
| I have an average size house (1300 square feet) | | | | next 7 years, there won't be any charge for |
| and was somewhat shocked when I counted up | | | | replacement bulbs this time. I'm still going to run |
| all the light bulbs in the house and it came to 24! | | | | each bulb for 2,190 hours per year, but since they |
| The house is occupied by someone most of the | | | | only take 13 watts instead of 60m they'll only |
| day so I'm estimating each bulb spends an | | | | consume 28.47 kilo-watt hours per year. That |
| average of 6 hours each day turned on. | | | | make the annual electricity cost $2.28 per bulb. |
| Incandescent Lights | | | | The end result is a $40 up front investment + |
| First let's calculate out the cost of operating my | | | | 2.28 per bulb, per year. With 24 bulbs running for |
| lights currently. One of the key selling points with | | | | 7 years that is $423.04 to light my house for 7 |
| the florescent bulbs is that they last for 7 years, | | | | years. |
| so I'm going to calculate all the costs on a seven | | | | The Results |
| year scale. | | | | End result is $423.04 with compact florescent |
| Operating each bulb for 6 hours a day, 365 days | | | | compared to $2,042.88 for incandescent. That's a |
| a year is 2,190 hours a year per bulb. The | | | | savings of $1,619.84. That seems to be a |
| average bulb lasts for 1,000 hours so it will have | | | | worthwhile investment to me! The environmental |
| to be replaced 2.2 times a year. You can buy a 4 | | | | savings are bonus. |
| pack of bulbs for $2.99 (about $0.75 per bulb). | | | | You can save even more by taking that |
| This makes the total cost of replacing each light | | | | $1,619.84 and using it to pay off credit card debt, |
| bulb $1.65 per year. | | | | pay down your mortgage or you could invest it |
| These are all 60 watt bulbs, and where I live | | | | and watch it grow over the years. Small savings |
| electricity runs for $0.08 per kilo-watt hour. 60 | | | | like this can really add up over time. Why not |
| watts at 2,190 hours a year is 131.4 kilowatt | | | | count the light bulbs in your house and find out |
| hours. At $0.08 per kilowatt hour that makes the | | | | how much you would save. |
| total annual cost of electricity $10.51 per bulb. | | | | |