“CFLs are helping Canadians live more sustainably and make unprecedented energy saving choices. Innovative products often require special care so users should read provided instructions for safe and responsible use and recycling.”
- Jim Taggart, President and CEO, EFC
Did you Know?
The lighting in your home accounts for 5‐20% of your total household energy use. Contrary to popular belief, incandescent light bulbs are so inefficient at producing light, that 95% of the electricity they use goes towards producing heat. But it’s not efficient to rely on the heat created by incandescent bulbs to heat your home. The energy saved by switching to more efficient lighting will greatly offset any small increase in your heating bill.
What is a CFL?
ENERGY STAR® Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) use about one‐quarter of the energy that incandescent bulbs use. CFLs are the most widely‐installed energy‐efficient lights. They are widely recognized by their spiral or twist shape, but they can also be shaped as loops, or covered by a bulbshaped glass cover. Dramatic energy savings can be generated by replacing inefficient incandescent light bulbs with commonly‐available energy‐efficient lighting options, such as CFLs, halogen, LED and IR lamps.
Here are some other key reasons to make the switch to CFLs:
- Energy Efficiency ‐ CFLs use approximately 75% less energy to generate light. If the average home replaced all of their incandescent bulbs with CFLs, it would save approximately 830 kilowatt hours a year – about as much energy as you would use watching over 4,100 episodes of your favourite TV program or doing 1,250 loads of laundry on a front‐load washer (source: BC Hydro).
- Affordability ‐ CFLs cost more up front ($3 to $10 on average), but they quickly pay for themselves in two ways. Because they use much less energy, you’ll save on your electrical bill as soon as you start using them.
- Longevity ‐ CFLs can last up to 10 times longer than standard incandescent bulbs (about 8,000 ‐ 10,000 hours compared to 1,000 hours for incandescent bulbs).
- Colour Appearance: CFLs are available in a range of colour temperatures from soft white, warm tones (similar to an incandescent), to cooler blue tones similar to daylight. Finding the right colour temperature for the task makes CFLs both functional and aesthetically pleasing. For more details, visit the Energy Star website here.
If you have any further questions, please contact EFC at 1‐866‐602‐8877 or info@electrofed.com.
