Guest post from Christina – Walmart Specialist)

CFL light bulbs, or Compact Fluorescents, have been around for a few years now, but some of you may not have made the switch yet because they are slightly more expensive than traditional light bulbs. However, the prices of these bulbs have really come down a lot in recent months and if you have been waiting to switch, now’s the time to do it.

Why should you switch to CFLs?

First of all, they are good for the environment. It is said that if each household just switched to 1 CFL in their home, it could prevent 90 billion pounds of greenhouse gases from power-plant going into the ozone, or the equivalent of taking 7.5 million cars off the road! Not only is it good on a large scale, but CFLs also save energy in your own home, causing you to see a drop in your bill.

What is the difference between traditional light bulbs and CFLs? How do they save energy?

CFLs use at around 1/3 of the energy of traditional bulbs.  A 13 Watt CFL replaces a 60 Watt light bulb of the traditional kind. That is a huge difference in the amount you will spend on these bulbs over their lifetime. The average bulb can save you $30!

CFLs are different from traditional (called incandescent) light bulbs because they put out more light with less work. One drawback to them is they contain a small amount of mercury, though. For this reason, you should always recycle them.

How to choose the right CFL for you:

CFLs come in almost way imaginable. There are different color temperature (pink, blue, white, etc.) so you can determine the mood of a room the same way you would with traditional bulbs. They also come in every size yu can think of. You can use them indoors and out and they fit standard fixtures.

To get the same effect as what you have been using, just choose based on wattage again. You will just need to get used to a different wattage formula. As discussed, a typical lamp or light in a room is 60 watts. This is average medium brightness. For this, you would choose a CFL that is 13-15 watts.

Keep in mind as well, CFLs even come in 3 way bulbs, so you really can switch over with no problems or changes other than the one in your wallet!

How much do these CFLs cost?

At Walmart, CFLs are now being made by the Walmart brand, Great Value. You can buy single bulbs for as low as $1.38 or bulk packs for $2.88 on up. While this is slightly more than traditional light bulbs, think of how much they will save you over their lifetime. An average CFL lasts 10 times as long as an incandescent bulb. We have had one here for around 4 years that is still going strong. If yu can’t afford to replace them all at once, I suggest just replacing the traditional bulbs as they burn out.  Also, I have occasionally seen coupons for them as well as got 4 free ones from my energy company.