Beginning in the early summer, we finally started making some concerted efforts towards saving energy and going a bit greener around our house. As more and more companies and organizations jump on the “green” bandwagon, it’s hard not to be overwhelmed by all the possibilities. I have to say that I am a bit skeptical about many of the fabulous claims, especially since everyone is trying to convince you to spend money to save money. As with any fad, there are lot’s of opportunities to make a profit out there and it is human nature for some to exploit that.
The first thing we did was to start replacing our light bulbs with CFL’s. By watching the sales around town or using coupon’s you can often bring the cost down a bit, plus the fact that they last much longer means you won’t be buying them nearly as often. Lot’s of folks complain about the difference in the color of the light given off by the bulbs, but manufacturers are now offering bulbs with different shades and brightness depending on where you are going to use them. One example of a significant reduction is usage we had was in the bathroom. We had two 6 bulb light bars in the bathroom. Each bulb was 40 watts so doing the math that works out to be 480 watts. We replaced the fixtures and now have 2 four bulb light bars with 14 watt CFL’s for a total of 112 watts. That’s an almost 25% reduction in wattage being used and a noticeable reduction in heat generated which we don’t have to offset with the air conditioning. I haven’t taken the time to figure a cost analysis, but I’m happy just with that reduction. We have started an effort to replace all the incandescent bulbs in the house when we get the chance.
Beware of cheap CFL bulbs and always check that there is a warranty. You should generally expect a 1 year warranty from a good manufacturer.
If you’d like to do an cost analysis, here is a link to the Federal Energy Management Program CFL Cost Calculator. CFL
Everyone is familiar with the old adage of “turn the light off when you leave the room” but there always seems to be a couple that are forgotten. What we did here in our house is to put motion sensing switches in the closet. The cost for these switches starts around $15. It switches a light on when it senses motion and it switches off after a pre-set period of time with no motion detected.
These two simple changes can make a real difference no only in our homes, but also help decrease the overall demand for electricity.
As always…consider the unintended consequences: CFL’s do contain mercury and can be harmful when disposed of or broken. Here is a factsheet from the EPA: CFL’s As with most things, there may be other unintended consequences.
