Consider these facts:

• If all PGE residential customers replaced just two 60-watt incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs), it would save 83 million kilowatt hours a year — enough to power the city of Salem for more than three weeks.
• If every American home replaced just one incandescent light bulb with an ENERGY STAR® qualified CFL, we would save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes for a year, more than $600 million in annual energy costs, and prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions of more than 800,000 cars!*

CFL advantages

• Use up to 70 percent less energy than incandescent light bulbs**
• Last up to 10 times longer**
• Produce up to 75 percent less heat so they’re safer and reduce the need for cooling
• No flickering or humming like fluorescents in the past
• Warm tones similar to incandescent lights are available

Compare: Incandescent vs. CFLs
†Assumes average ENERGY STAR CFL life of 8000 hours.

How to buy CFLs
For best performance, be sure to seek out high-quality ENERGY STAR qualified CFLs from a reputable manufacturer. Some other things to keep in mind:

• CFLs come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Check your fixture before you buy so you are sure to get the right size.
• To take full advantage of the energy savings and long life of high-quality CFLs, put them in light fixtures you use the most and are on for at least 15 minutes at a time. Good locations outdoor light fixtures, and indoor fixtures in the living room, family room, kitchen, bedroom, recreation room, etc. Areas where a light is turned on for just a few minutes — such as a closet, pantry or half-bath — aren’t good locations.
• Choose a CFL rated near 3000K for a warm look similar to an incandescent light bulb. The higher the Kelvin (color temperature) rating, the whiter and cooler the light.
• Three-way switch, enclosed fixtures and outdoor applications require specially marked CFLs. Read packages carefully to make sure you buy the right bulb for your application.
• While there are dimmable CFL bulbs, dimmable CFL technology still has some drawbacks (limited dimmable range, among others). A halogen-style incandescent might be a better dimmable choice for energy savings. Some manufacturers now offer halogens that save around 30 percent over incandescent bulbs with similar light output, and they have a much longer lamp life. However they will cost more than standard choices.
• Timers, motion sensors and photocells are generally not recommended for use with CFLs; they will significantly shorten the lifespan of the bulbs.
• For more information, see the Energy Star guide to choosing a light.

Disposal of CFLs
All fluorescent lights contain a small quantity of mercury, and therefore should be disposed of properly. For more information and disposal sites, see how to dispose of CFLs.

**Manufacturers’ estimates
*Source: ENERGY STAR