How much do compact fluorescent bulbs save?
Question:We would like to try compact fluorescent bulbs. They are more expensive. How much energy cost savings can I expect? Thanks.
Answers:
In the summer it takes about 2 watts of power for your air-conditioner to remove 1 watt of heat from your house.
A typical 22 watt florecent light will convert about 2 watts to light, and 20 watts to heat. So that means that the florecent light will indirectly consume about 62 watts of energy.
A typical 60 watt standard bulb will convert about 1.5 watts to light, and 58.5 watts to heat. So that means that the standard bulb will indirectly consume about 177 watts of energy.
If your electric costs 7c (national average) a KWH, that means operating the florecent light will cost (in the summer) about 4.3 cents per hour. The 60 watt light bulb will cost about 12.4 cents per hour.
If you are using the bulbs outdoors the savings is much less becuse you are not paying for air-conditioning outdoors.
The florecent lights don't last as long in a bathroom where you are flipping them on and off a lot. In a location where they are turned on once, and turned off once per day, they last a pretty long time, even if they are on all night.
I have 7x22 watt florecent lights on the outside of my house. They stay on all night, becuse I have them on a light sensor. My property is well lit.
This doesn't have anything to do with the answer your looking for but, FYI, Compact fluorescent bulbs, (the kind that look like ice-cream cones), contain mercury, and after your done saving millions of dollars on energy costs, they need to be disposed of at an environmental type recycling place. The bulbs are good but the mercury isn't.
The cost I am not sure of,but they do last a very long time.That will make it cost efficient in itself.I have the same one outside for 3 years.
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