Increasing your lighting efficiency is one of the fastest and easiest ways to reduce your energy costs. One way to do this is by using energy-efficient compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) instead of standard incandescent light bulbs.

An ENERGY STAR Qualified Compact Fluorescent Light:

• Uses at least 75% less electricity, provides the same amount of light and typically lasts 10 times longer than a standard incandescent bulb.
• Can save more than $30 in electricity costs over the lifetime of the bulb and prevent more than 450 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions.
• Generates about 75% less heat, so it's safer to operate and can cut air conditioning costs.

Choosing and Using a CFL

• Choose an ENERGY STAR qualified light bulb or fixture with one that offers the same lumen rating as the light you're replacing. Manufacturers will often label their packaging in terms of watt replacement to guide your decision-making.
• To get the most energy savings, replace bulbs where lights are on the most, such as your family and living room, kitchen, dining room, and porch.
• Place bulbs in open fixtures that allow air flow and, if replacing a bulb operating on a dimmer switch, look for bulbs specifically designed for this use.

Proper Disposal of CFLs

CFLs contain a very small amount of mercury, so like paint, batteries, thermostats and other hazardous household items, they should be disposed of properly.

• ENERGY STAR qualified CFLs have a warranty. If the bulb fails within the warranty period, return it to your retailer or the manufacturer.
• Local disposal locations can easily be found at www.Earth911.org. Simply enter "CFL" as the item to recycle, and your zip code. You may also call them at 1-877-EARTH911.
• If a CFL breaks in your home, follow the clean up recommendations provided on the EPA's Web site.

Lighting Facts

• Lighting accounts for about 20 percent of the average home's electric bill.
• The average home has approximately 30 light fixtures.
• During the summer months, the heat produced by incandescent lighting makes your air conditioner work harder.
• If we changed a bulb for every child in America, the action would prevent more than 30 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions and save enough money to light more than 15 million homes for an entire year.

Lighting Tips

• Install dimmer switches or three-way bulbs. They help control your lighting to the lowest comfortable setting.
• Turn off lights when leaving a room.
• Use "task" lighting so work and leisure activities can be carried on without lighting up an entire room.
• Choose lighter colors for walls, ceilings, floors and furniture since dark colors require higher lamp wattage for illumination.
• In lamps and fixtures with two or more sockets for incandescent light bulbs, consider using a single large bulb in one socket, rather than filling all sockets with smaller-wattage bulbs.
• Locate floor, table and hanging lamps in the corner of a room where they can reflect light from two wall surfaces and give more usable light.
• Clean lighting fixtures regularly. Dust on lamps and reflectors impairs lighting efficiency.
• Make sure that outdoor lighting is turned off during the daytime by installing photoelectric controls or timers.