Unlike CFL bulbs, they do not contain mercury, so cleaning up a broken bulb is much easier. Light emitting diode (LED) light bulbs are growing in popularity because they are 90% more efficient than traditional incandescent bulbs and can last up to 20 years. And Here’s How Much Money LEDs Can Save You DKsamco/Getty Images If you break a CFL bulb, the room will need to be evacuated, and the cleanup process can take hours. One caveat to using CFLs: According to the EPA, they contain 4 milligrams of mercury (a very small amount), which is sealed inside. Today, however, CFLs have become much more affordable (you can get them for roughly $1.74 a bulb) and 75% more efficient than traditional incandescents. When they first hit stores, CFLs cost anywhere from $25 to $35.ĭespite the high price, they were originally ill-designed to fit existing fixtures and often did not last as long as advertised. The compact fluorescent light bulb (or CFL) arrived on the scene in the 1980s in response to the 1973 oil crisis, which led to skyrocketing energy prices. CFL Bulbs: More Efficient, But Hazardous GM Stock Films/Getty Images Though it is about 30% more efficient than a traditional incandescent, it still can’t hold a candle - or a light bulb, rather - to two more efficient offerings. One attempt was the halogen incandescent, which has risen in popularity since the demise of the traditional incandescent. And worse? These bulbs only last 1,000 hours, or roughly a year before we have to pitch them and buy new ones, meaning more old bulbs and packaging of new bulbs sent to landfills.īecause of their inefficiency, these bulbs have been phased out in the United States.Įventually, the market demanded more efficient light bulbs. That’s because 90% of their energy is lost as heat, and only 10% actually emits light.
The problem with these light bulbs? They are among the most inefficient ways to light a room. They were and still are offered in 40W, 60W, 75W and 100W bulbs. Incandescent? More Like Inefficient gaiamoments/Getty Imagesįor more than a century, incandescent light bulbs were the only source of artificial light in most American homes. Are you looking for ways to cut down on energy costs? Here’s a bright idea: Reevaluate your light bulb situation.Īccording to the EPA’s Energy Star program, the average American household has 50 light bulb sockets, and 60% of those still contain an inefficient lighting source.
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