Action - Replacing lights with CF bulbs
CF light bulbs provide a tremendous energy and emissions savings. They are slightly more expensive up-front but last many times longer and typically pay themselves off within several months, leading to large savings over several years.
The costs and benefits here are a range around the assumed household averages of at least 23 light sockets. Assumes a range of 2-6 hours of use each per day.
The only potential drawback of CF bulbs is the presence of a small amount of mercury, which means they should be disposed of properly. New CF bulbs are coming available that contain less than half the mercury of current models.
Known benefits and costs
| Annual CO2 Savings | 500 - 1,600 kg |
|---|---|
| 1,100 - 3,520 lbs | |
| Annual Cash Savings | $80 - $250 |
| Initial Cost | $46 - $115 |
| Time to pay for itself | 0.0 - 1.0 years |
| CO2 saved per year per initial dollar invested | 4.35 - 34.78 kg |
* These values were taken from many sources including product documentation, published reports, and the referenced material below. The ranges are due to differences in methods of achieving this action.