If you're like me, you grew up buying light bulbs according to their wattage. Times are changing, folks, and we need to change with them. These days, we have alternatives to the incandescent bulb; alternatives that offer real energy savings. Both CFL (compact fluorescent light) and LED (light emitting diode) bulbs are available for home use, and both use less electricity than incandescent bulbs that emit the same amount of light. So, how do you compare various bulbs?
Use lumens, not watts, to determine the brightness of a bulb. Watts are a measure of energy, while lumens are a measure of brightness. A 100 watt incandescent bulb, for example, puts out 1600 lumens of light. If you want to get the same brightness from a CFL bulb, you should chose one that's in the range of 23 to 30 watts. The Energy Star web site has a comparison chart that can help you out.
Starting in 2011, making this comparison will be a lot easier. The Federal Trade Commission has mandated that light bulbs come with a new, more informative label. Each of the new labels will contain the following information:
- brightness
- energy cost
- the bulb's life expectancy
- light appearance (for example, if the bulb provides "warm" or "cool" light)
- wattage (the amount of energy the bulb uses)
- whether the bulb contains mercury
Examples of the new label can be found at the FTC website.
Replacing incandescent light bulbs with CFL and/or LED bulbs is a smart, energy-efficient move. Using lumens as your guide, along with the information on these new labels, you should be able to lower your electric bill without sacrificing comfort.
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