Compact Fluorescent Light Bulb (CFL) Fact Sheet

Cost Effectiveness | Energy Efficiency | Safety Information

Cost Effectiveness

• Though CFLs cost more at the outset, they will reduce your electricity bill in the long-term and save you money while saving energy. By replacing four standard bulbs with CFLs, you can prevent the emission of 5,000 pounds of carbon dioxide and reduce your electricity bill by more than $100 over the lives of those bulbs.
• Replacing a 100-watt incandescent with a 23-watt CFL can save you nearly $100 in energy costs over the life of the bulb
• Inefficient incandescent light bulbs waste money and energy because they are actually heaters in disguise, converting 90% of the electricity to heat and only about 10% to visible light.
• Lighting accounts for about 20% of all electricity use in the country and about 15% of electricity use in our homes. The typical household spends about $110 per year on lighting and most of this is wasted on inefficient incandescent light bulbs.
• To maximize savings, use CFLs in places where lights are on for long periods of time. Frequent switching on and off will shorten the CFL's life.

Back to top

Energy Efficiency

• If every household in the U.S. replaced one light bulb with a CFL, it would prevent enough pollution to equal removing one million cars from the road
• CFLs last about eight times as long as incandescent bulbs. They only need to be replaced every five to six years.
• CFLs use ¼ the energy of an incandescent light bulb.
• CFLs provide the same amount of light (lumens) as standard incandescent bulbs, but have lower wattage ratings.
• Replacing one incandescent light bulb with an energy saving CFL bulb would reduce carbon monoxide emissions to the atmosphere by 1,000 pounds.
• If every household replaced its most commonly used incandescent light bulbs with CFLs, electricity use for lighting could be cut in half. Doing so would lower our annual carbon dioxide emissions by about 125 billion pounds. This action alone could halt the growth in carbon dioxide emissions from the United States, given recent growth rates.
• Electricity production is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S., and lighting accounts for about 25 percent of American electricity consumption.
• By using CFLs, the energy saved would actually reduce mercury emissions released from coal-fired power plants.
• By installing CFLs in their most commonly used light fixtures, consumers will do more for the environment and for their own pocketbooks. If more households did this, we could take an important step towards protecting the planet from global warming.

Back to top

Safety Information

• CFLs are cool to the touch because they operate at less than 100° F, so they are also safer than typical halogen bulbs, which are frequently used in floor lamps, and burn at 1,000° F. Due to their high heat output, halogens can cause burns and fires.
• CFLs contain four milligrams of mercury, approximately half the mercury found in a linear fluorescent lamp. Mercury vapour will only be released when the lamp is broken while operating.
• Most lamp manufacturers offer a "low mercury" or environmentally friendly lamp. The green socket or end cap identifies these lamps.
• To find out where to properly displose of CFLs in your area visit www.earth911.org.
• Many other household products contain mercury, such as CFLs, thermostats, batteries, and certain switches and are not harmful unless the equipment breaks.
• Older thermometers contain approximately 500 milligrams of mercury, which is equivalent to the amount in 125 CFLs.
• CFLs are lower in mercury compared to other types of bulbs. According to the EPA, while CFLs do contain very small amounts of Mercury, they do not release mercury during use unless broken.
• For safe clean up of a CFL if the bulb should break, follow the suggestions of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency:
  1. Prior to Clean Up -
     Have all people and animals leave the room, open a window and turn off the AC or heating unit
  2. Clean-Up Steps -
     Scoop up glass fragments and powder using stiff paper or cardboard (instead of vacuuming or sweeping) and then use sticky tape to pick up any remaining pieces.
     Wipe down area with wet towel or wipe and if vacuuming is necessary then put the bag or vacuum debris in a sealed plastic bag.
  3. Removing Waste -
     Place all materials outside in protected area or container until disposal and wash your hands. Check with your local or state government to see if there are requirements for disposal of broken or unbroken bulbs containing mercury.
  4. Future Cleaning -
     Open a window and shutdown the AC and heating system the next few times you vacuum.

  Source: http://www.energystar.gov/ia/partners/promotions/change_light/downloads/Fact_Sheet_Mercury.pdf

Back to top