Do the energy saving light bulbs really save money on your electric bill and can you tell a difference?

Question

I heard the energy saving light bulbs last longer than the regular light bulbs but a couple of people have told me that they really didn't notice a difference in their electric bill. I am trying to see if it is worth spending more money for the energy saving light bulbs or just stick with using the regular light bulbs.

Answer 1

Our house was built 6 years ago and we've never had to replace our energy saving bulbs. We use them a lot more than we should, probably. At least several hours a day. So, do they save in the bill? I don't know. We've always had them, so we have nothing to compare them to. However, all the regular bulbs have been replaced many times over.

Answer 2

I didn't notice a difference in my electric bill when I switched to CFLs. What I did notice is that I wasn't replacing light bulbs every few weeks. I live in an area that gets a lot of power spikes and incandescent bulbs were burning out frequently. I never had to replace a compact fluorescent bulb  because of power fluctuations. That makes CFLs a lot more economical for me.

Answer 3

The best way to save energy and reduce your electricity bill is by using LED bulbs or Tubes. The cosumption for these bulbs is less 5W to 10W depending on the size you take. Secondly they have additional benefit of durability typically a single LED bulb run for around 60000 hours before it needs to get changed. Intial cost for LED bulbs is very high compared to normal bulbs. But if you look at long term benefit and the electricity bill this is the best option available.

Answer 4

It does make a difference.  It's difficult to compare though as it really depends on usage time.

Answer 5

It all depends how much of your electric bill is from your lights.  If you have gas heat, stove and water heater, the savings may more obvious than if you had an all electric home.

Answer 6

Depends mainly on the local climate and time of year.  During the summer you'll save a noticeable amount because not only do they consume less power, but they also generate less heat so the air conditioning doesn't have to work as hard.  During the winter it's a wash because your lighting costs are reduced but the cost of heating goes up.

Answer 7

Yes it totally makes a difference and every little bit helps the planet. Oh and they really do last longer, a lot longer. If you want to learn more things you can do to help the environment Care2.com is a great resource. Have a great day!

KC

Answer 8

They don't do things like drastically cutting your bill in half, but I can feel the difference in the summer when my AC can barely keep up with the heat.  The CFs don't radiate as much waste heat and actually allowed the AC to keep the main room cool.

Answer 9

They use less energy, so they will undoubtedly make a difference. It won't make a HUGE difference though for most people and it may be difficult to see the difference when compared to the normal variations in electrical usage due to changing seasons, etc.

Jello's contention that you will need to use three times the number of lights is ridiculous.

Answer 10

Hi. Yes they really do make a difference.  We have a large house and it cost me a little bit up front to change all the bulbs in my house, (with a couple of exceptions).  I waited for sales, Home Depot sells a 6 or 8 pack for about $10 dollars.  Anyway it saved me 20 dollars the first month and it seems since I have changed over it is an average of about $25 dollars a month.  well worth the up front expense.

Answer 11

The more watts you use, the more you pay. Your standard light bulb 100 watt light bulb is being replaced by the equivalent of 23 watts for the same light in the energy savings bulbs.

Your power company may offer rebates if you turn in your receipts for the energy saving bulbs. My utility provider was paying back 50% of the receipt price.

Answer 12

Electricity costs about 8 cents per kilowatt-hour which means you have to keep a 60 watt bulb lit for around 2 hours to spend a penny on electricity.

With CF lights, you may be able to run the same bulb for 6 hours for a penny.  The trouble is that CF lights become dim very quickly and you have to have 3 times the lights on to read the paper, so nothing is actually saved.

Also CF lights cannot be dimmed.  This causes you to use more light than you need at times.

The cost of the bulb is never recuperated.  You'll spend more money in the long run.