One of the big trends right now is saving energy. Everywhere you look, shop, and open the newspaper, it’s all about being “green!” So the most important question on everyone’s mind is, “How can I save the earth and save money at the same time?” Let’s face reality – most people will not change their habits unless it benefits them in some way. So, one of the easiest things you can do is change out all your incandescent light bulbs to compact fluorescents.
Many of you have probably encountered the fact that the bulb you bought may have had a different coloring of light output than you are used to, possibly a bluish color. And your first reaction was probably not a good one and so you swore off compact fluorescent bulbs forever.
The key to purchasing the right compact fluorescent bulb for you is to look at the Kelvin degrees. In layman’s terms, this means the coloring. It’s simple: the lower the number, and the warmer the light…. The higher the number, the cooler the light. If you tend to have warmer colors in your home, such as gold’s, burgundy’s, warm greens, coffee beiges, etc, then you definitely want a bulb with warmer light output. If you have more cool colors in your home, such as blues, violets, light greens, and grays, you may be able to get away with the cooler colored light. But when it comes down to it, most of us are used to lighting our homes with the warm comforting yellow incandescent bulbs. So in order to do this, buy a bulb that is 2700 degrees Kelvin (or some company’s call this “soft white”). Now, switching to these compact fluorescent bulbs may cost you more up front, but they are proven to use 75% less energy and will last for much longer. This will cost you less in the long run because you won’t have to run out to the store as much and your electric bill will be lower! It’s a win- win situation for all. The stores have come a long way and you are now able to purchase these bulbs in your local Lowe’s or Home Depot.
It’s very important to remember that at the end of the compact fluorescent bulbs’ life, you need to recycle it! The bulb does contain a very small amount of mercury. It has been compared to be less than the size of the tip of your ball point pen. Now that’s small! Many stores offer recycle disposals for these bulbs. You can also contact your local waste department or recycling center to find out how to properly dispose of them in your area.
Together we can make a difference by the very small changes we make in our day to day lives.