Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs)
Compact fluorescent light bulbs are energy saving light bulbs that produce light in a different way than incandescent bulbs do. On average, CFLs use 75 percent less energy than their incandescent equivalents, last 10 times longer and produce less heat. CFLs are available for most types of fixtures and serve a variety of lighting needs.
CFLs do contain trace amounts of mercury which may be dangerous if bulbs are disposed of improperly or broken and not cleaned up properly.
A CFL may save $30 over the course of a single bulb’s lifetime. If every American household changed one light to a CFL, we would save $600 million in energy costs and prevent greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to 800,000 cars.
You can find all sorts of fluorescent light bulbs on the AOL Shopping site.
For more info, see our This or That: Compact fluorescent or incandescent light bulbs?
Sources:
-- “Are Fluorescent Light Bulbs Really More Efficient Than Normal Light Bulbs?”, HowStuffWorks.com. Accessed Sept. 6, 2007. http://home.howstuffworks.com/question236.htm
-- “Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs,” Energy Star Web site. Accessed Sept. 6, 2007. http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=cfls.pr_cfls
-- “What to Do if a Fluorescent Light Bulb Breaks,” EPA Web site. Accessed Sept. 6, 2007. http://www.epa.gov/mercury/spills/index.htm#flourescent
