Energy-saving tip of the month: Let’s twist again!

July 3, 2009
by Maxine Margo Rubin

Save money and help save the planet in a twist, by switching your incandescent light bulbs to energy saving carbon fluorescent (CFL) bulbs. CFL bulbs use one-fifth the energy of incandescent light bulbs, while a 9-watt CFL produces as much light as its 40-watt incandescent counterpart.

$aving$

In one easy twist you can reduce your carbon footprint and your energy bill. A look at my Con Ed bill showed that I had used 563 kilowatts from December 23, 2008 to January 26, 2009 while lighting my home with incandescent bulbs. After changing to CFL bulbs, my next electric bill – January 27 to February 25 – showed a 159 kilowatt reduction in energy and a savings of $40.63! Multiplying that by 12 months yields around $480 yearly, big bucks.

Concerned about CFL bulbs with dimmer switches?  

Only certain CFLs can be used for dimmers and three-way lights. Be sure to check the CFL box to be sure you have the right kind for each.

The care and feeding of CFL bulbs

Learn more about how CFLs work, and have a look at their innards by visiting the Energystar.gov website. You’ll see that you should hold them by their plastic base to screw them into a socket, not by the tube itself. Keep them on for 15 minutes or more at a time; they don’t like to flipped on and off too quickly. They’re temperature sensitive, so don’t enclose them in indoor fixtures; protect them from the elements in outside fixtures. Treat them well and they’ll pay you back big time.

Disposing of CFLs by recycling

Because CFL bulbs contain trace amounts of mercury, you should bring them to the receptacles for used CFL bulbs at the recycling center on Hunts Lane or to the local Home Depot.

This monthly energy saving tip has been brought to you by the Sustainability Advisory Board of New Castle.

Maxine Margo Rubin has lived in New Castle since 1984.  She has been active on the program committee for New Castle Community Television, and is the newest member of New Castle’s Sustainability Advisory Board. This weekend, help to create a picture of New Castle’s energy use—and find a super-easy way to access your Con Ed bills online— by taking the town’s survey.  See “20 questions that will help decide New Castle’s energy future.”

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