Question, since you use them for som applications - is the energy difference really noticeable, or is it minor?
“Question, since you use them for som applications - is the energy difference really noticeable, or is it minor?”
I know you weren’t addressing me, but I’ll tell you my experience. While I don’t love the new CFL bulbs, they do save money if you use any lighting at all. Where I live (North), in the winter the sun goes down before 5 PM, so I have lights on for several hours a day. (Generally 6+) I had a main fixture in the kitchen that had 5 bulbs, a fixture in the living room with 3 bulbs, each bathroom had 4 bulbs, and each bedroom 2 bulbs. When I made the switch from the incandescents to the CFL’s, my electric bill went from about 85 dollars down to about 20 dollars.
In my honest opinion, the biggest issue with the incandescents is the heat. They produce so much heat, i hate to be under them in the summer. Since they’re basically a 100% efficient heater, if you have 5-100 Watt bulbs, it’s almost like running a space heater when you have them on. That being said, in the winter I don’t mind the normal incandescents heat output as much, because they do heat up the house, but the cost of electricity vs gas heating for me is about 3x the cost, so all the way around, I prefer to use the CFL’s now.
You can do the simple math (a lot of steps, but all simple), to determine if it would save you much money, or you can probably find a calculator online. In my experience, they saved me about 40 dollars a month or so, averaged across the year. In the winter, I use more lighting, but it lowers heat cost, in the summer use less lighting, but it cost significantly more to cool the house with those little heaters going. Anyway, hope that helps!
(I should add that my CFL bulbs were on sale at Sam’s for 2.87/8-Pack, 13Watt/60Watt Equivalent, and that they are quite a bit more expensive now. I have only ever had one go bad—same bulbs, going on 3-4 years now—and that was due to unscrewing it by the end of the bulb and not at the bottom/near the fixture)
Just to be clear, I only do ‘green’ things to the extent that they make sense for ME. As far as your question, they supposedly use a lot less energy. I also turn off lights when not in the room, and my heat auto dials down when I’m not home. That’s all about my bills though, and yes I think those things make a difference.
For the curly bulbs, I wouldn’t say it’s noticeable. I only have three so far, plus the amount of time I spend at home can vary, and the cost of electricity does change. I live alone, so bulbs last me a long time.