Has anyone switched their entire household to CFL bulbs? Did you notice a change in your electricity bill?

Question

We switched our entire household over last month. This month I received the highest utility bill I have EVER had at this house. Nothing about our usage habits changed. Please share your experiences!!!

Answer 1

I didn't switch as cold turkey as you have, but I have to admit I haven't really noticed a huge difference in my bill.  Can't say it's gone up, but also can't say it's gone down.

I've probably changed 90% of my bulbs (still missing a couple in inaccessible stairways)

Answer 2

Lighting uses the least amount of power in most modern homes. In warm climates, like where I live in Austin, Texas, air conditioning makes up the majority of electric use. My winter electric bill is around $50-$80. Of course I use more lights in winter because the days are shorter. The summer bill is $250 or more. The extra $200 is all air conditioning.

Other big users of power are refrigerators and electric heaters, like electric water heaters, electric space heaters and electric clothes dryers and hair dryers and big screen TVs. Notice the pattern here. Electric devices used to make heat are not efficient. I have natural gas space heating and water heating. I do have an electric over and electric clothes dryer though. Gas would be better.

So when people say you can lower your electric bill by switching to CFSs, well, you CAN lower your lighting bill, but lighting is probably only $10 of your monthly electric bill. Ten 60 watt bulbs turned on for 8 hours per day for 30 days use 10 * 60 * 8 * 30 = 144,000 watt hours of energy, or 144 kWh. My electric cost is about 8 cents per kWh, so that is $11.52. If I replaced all those bulbs by 13 watt CFLs, the energy used would be 10 * 13 * 8 * 30 = 31, 200 watt hours or 31.2 kWh. That would cost $2.50. So I would save $9.02 per month. That is a savings but the rest of your bill will not be affected by that change at all. Your refrigerator and air conditioner and oven and TV and computer and other things will still use just as much power as before.

So CFLs are a good idea, but people who say you can stop global warming by switching to CFLs don't know what they are talking about. And when you tell them the numbers like I just did, they will scoff and say every little bit helps. I scoff back at them and say if you do a little bit and then use that as an excuse to consider the problem solved you have become part of the problem and not part of the solution. Stopping global warming will be a GIGANTIC undertaking and not simple at all.

By the way, worldemperor is wrong about leaking mercury being a danger. The mercury can only leak out if the bulb breaks. Even then it is a very small amount and anyway headaches are not a symptom of mercury exposure. But some people are bothered by the quality of the light and THAT can cause headaches.

Answer 3

Actually.... Read "Natural Cures They Don't Want You To Know About" and it says that CFL's are dangerous to humans because they give off the wrong type of light and blank, dull, and contain mercury. That's why many people get headaches and such when near too many of them.(including me.)

My parents switched all of ours and our electricity prices have still constantly gone up...

Overall.... CFL's will do more damage to the environment because of the mercury leakage than that of CO2 and a stupid theory.

Answer 4

I'll switch to oil burning lamps first, and use my old cooking grease to fuel them.  I've got 3 kids and I'd never subject them to the toxins these things contain willingly.

Answer 5

It was a very cold month for much of the US.  Count this into your calculations since your heater may be electrical.  Also, there may be a difference as CFL bulbs use less electricity if you leave them on for a while instead of turning lights on and off frequently.  I hope this helps.

Answer 6

CFL those are the ones that are spiral right? Ya you know what happens when you drop one? A Mini H***  It uses mercury right bad.....

Answer 7

The issue is that the rates keep going up though the roof.  So no matter how much I offset in use, the price keeps going up.  My new home will not power lines running to it, holding me hostage.  My new home will not have gas lines or propane tanks, to rob me.