We're saving energy with CFLs

My husband I recently received our smallest electric bill ever, a mere 512 kilowatt hours for the month of January. While I'm sure the mild weather was the biggest factor, I'm also giving credit to compact fluorescent light bulbs, or CFLs as they are known. A couple months ago we replaced about 80 percent of the bulbs in our home with CFLs. The only negative I've noticed is that lights are not instantly at full brightness. If you are interested in replacing yours, here are a few suggestions based on my experience:

You get the most bang for your buck by replacing those lights that you keep on the longest. That means you should install CFLs right now in your kitchen and family room or wherever you have lights on the most. Then use the bulbs you removed in other areas of the house. We went ahead and replaced lots of bulbs throughout our house, but it's probably more economical to replace the less frequently used bulbs more slowly as the old bulbs burn out. Keep in mind that CFLs can't be used with dimmer switches. Replacing bulbs in closets is pretty much a waste. My understanding is that turning the bulbs on and off shortens their lifespan, so if you're only burning them for one minute at a time, they won't last as many hours. We also left in place a row of flood lamps in our living room that we rarely turn on. We saved all the receipts and the guarantees that came with the bulbs so (theoretically), we can get some money back if they don't live up to their life manufacturers' guarantees.

In the interests of full disclosure, I should tell you that we have a gas water heater and stove top, which help keep our electric bill low. (Our gas bill runs $35-40 a month.) Although we keep our house (a three-story townhouse) closed, we do several things to minimize our air conditioning bill.  We have a zoned air conditioning system. When we're using an area, we set the thermostat to 79 (77 at night in the bedrooms), and when we're not using an area, we set it at 83. We rarely turn on the heat because we have big south facing windows and the house warms up very quickly during the day (which means we use AC more often in the winter).

Do you have any energy-saving tips to share?

Comments

[JR]

The quality of the bulb goes a long way for things like the light you get and any noticeable flicker. My dad gave me some bulbs he got at a dollar store but they were so bad I can't use them even in my closet, eventually threw them out. I usually buy the Marathon ones. I'd suggest trying at least 2-3 brands if you don't like the first one you get before giving up on the technology completely.

[Helen Huntley]

I think it matters how sensitive you are to this. I frankly do not notice any flickering on the bulbs at home, although I have occasionally noticed this with the long tube bulbs used in offices. I tried two types of the bulbs--the regular and one marked "daylight." I did not like the "daylight" version as I found the lighting too cold and harsh. However, I like the light from the regular CFLs just as much as that from the incandescent bulbs.

The flickering from these CFL's is a topic for debate in terms of causing migraines, or strains on the eye to those predisposed. My experience in using these bulbs is that the quality of lighting for indoor use is not the same as conventional. Therefore cost savings comes sometimes with a cost, would seem to be true here.

[Mike]

I have a question more than a way to save energy.

I HATE fluorescent light. I despise the flicker it puts off, the way it washes out color and the temperature of the light. In fact, I even sit in my office with the lights off until someone tells me to turn them on, they bother me so much.

With that said, do the CFLs put out the same kind of light as my GE Reveal 100W? I would certainly consider using them if I knew for sure I would get the same quality light that I get from an incandescent or halogen. I don't want to buy any just to find out that I hate the light they emit.

I have looked at them in the past but the light measurements are different. The CFLs are measured in K and the incandescents are measured in lumens. I'd love to see an apples to apples comparison of the light before I buy them.