What is the difference in power consumption between the power saving CFL and the old flourecence tube light?

Question

the older (straight) tube lights use a starter and a choke, ( the choke) which produces heat wastes energy. where as the CFL uses a high voltage circuit. how many units would a power saving CFL take as compare to the normal tubelights?

Answer 1

Tubes run about 80 lumens/Watt efficient.  For a standard 48" T-12 tube 40 Watts goes into the tube and 14 more Watts goes into the ballast giving an overall efficiency of about 60 l/W.

CFLs have a total efficiency of about 65 l/W so they are about 10%  more efficient.

Larger 8' fluorescant tubes are about even with CFLs.

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Answer 2

not enough to ever justify the cost to change out.  As a matter of fact, CFL's do not save any energy over an incandescent light at MY house for 8 months out of the year, the wasted energy goes to heat and heats my house and cuts down on my heating bill.