Primer on CFL 101

How many light bulbs are in your house? What percentage of them are energy efficient?

If your answer to the first question is above 20 and second less than 50%, you will be surprised how much money you can save on your monthly utility bill and how much you are saving the earth.

Regular incandescent bulbs - Everyday pear-shaped bulbs with a screw-in base, these bulbs use electricity to heat a filament until it glows white hot, producing light. About 90% of the electricity used by incandescent bulbs is lost as heat. These bulbs typically burn for 750 to 1,000 hours—or about three hours a day for a year.
Compact fluorescent bulbs - CFL - These bulbs provide as much light as regular incandescent bulbs while using just one-fourth the energy. For example, a 15-watt compact fluorescent bulb gives out the same amount of light as a 60-watt incandescent bulb. Compact fluorescent bulbs last about 10,000 hours—10 times longer than incandescent bulbs.
Incandescent spotlights and floodlights. Known as spotlights or floodlights, these bulbs are used in recessed ceiling fixtures or outdoors. A special coating helps direct and focus the light. They burn for about 2,000 hours.