Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFLs)

Compact Fluorescent lights (CFLs) cost significantly more than traditional incandescent lightbulbs - even more so for specialized CFLs. However, you can cut that lighting bill by up to 75% by switching all your incandescent bulbs to CFLs which also last up to 10 times longer.	It's an easy, inexpensive way to save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.	If every Canadian household replaced just one, 60-watt incandescent bulb with a CFL, it would save up to $73 million a year in energy costs and be the equivalent of taking 66,000 cars off the road.

Why are CFLs such a big deal?

Lighting accounts for about 28% of the electricity consumed in the typical Alberta home. That's practically a third! Given you can cut energy consumption by up to 75 per cent, if we all switch to CFLs, we can make a huge dent in conserving that electricity use.

What are CFLs?

Unlike traditional incandescent bulbs, which heat a filament to produce light, CFLs use long-established fluorescent technology to convert energy into light. They are far more efficient producers of light, consuming about 75 per cent less electricity than incandescent bulbs and lasting for some 10,000 hours.

How much do they cost?

A typical 20-watt CFL bulb costs about $3, compared with about 50 cents for a low-end incandescent bulb. That CFL bulb will normally pay for itself in less than five months, with annual energy savings of about $8.00 (at 10 cents per kilowatt hour) for many years thereafter.

What shapes and sizes do they come in?

You can replace nearly every conventional light bulb in your home with a CFL. While early CFLs invariably had a spiral shape, your choices now include conventional bulb shapes, globes and outdoor flood lights. Some CFLS are designed to work with dimmers and three-way switches; some can even replace halogen bulbs, including those on track lighting.

What light intensity do I need to replace an incandescent bulb?

CFLs use considerably less wattage to produce the same amount of light as an incandescent bulb. For example, a 15-watt CFL produces the same light intensity as a 60-watt incandescent. When you're shopping for CFLs, check the wattage equivalency numbers on the package.

Are all CFL bulbs the same quality?

No. Look for ones with an ENERGY STAR® label, which indicates they have met strict specifications for energy savings, long life, colour and brightness.

I've heard that CFLS don't all produce the same colour of light. What should I be looking for?

It depends what colour of light you want. Some CFLS produce an inviting, "warm" or "soft" light and are listed as such on the package. Others are listed as "cool white" or "daylight" and are generally more suitable for task lighting. Good retail outlets - lighting, hardware and general purpose stores - should have demonstration boxes with both colours of lights, to allow you to compare.

CFLs contain some mercury. Is this a health hazard?

No. The amount of mercury in a CFL is tiny - about one-fifth that of a typical watch battery and only a fraction of that found in amalgam dental fillings. By the time a CFL has reached the end of its life, the mercury should be fused to the glass and thus essentially be inert. Still, it is recommended that old or broken CFLs be recycled; Ikea, Home Depot and Edmonton Eco Stations are currently the only places where the lights can be dropped off for recycling.

If I'm only going to initially buy one or two CFLs, where should I install them?

Screw or clip them into the light fixtures you use the most, such as in the kitchen, living room and other high-traffic areas. That way you'll realize the greatest energy savings and greenhouse gas reductions.

Because these lights are so efficient, should I just leave them on for long periods of time?

No. Energy conservation is always the smartest thing to do: a light that's turned off uses no energy. So turn off CFLs that are not in active use.