Money Talks: Bright Idea – Right Light for the Price
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, 15 cents of every energy dollar you spend is for lighting.
Starting in 2012, this old friend, the traditional incandescent light bulb, will start it's long goodbye. In 2012, 100-watt bulbs will be gone. It's lights out for the 75 watt in 2013, and the last bulb - the 40 watt - will go dark in 2014.
So here's a bright idea: let's learn about their replacements. There are at least three possibilities: the LED, the Compact Florescent and the Halogen. Here's the cost breakdown...
The LED is more expensive than the incandescent bulb - they are about 50 times more expensive. This particular LED, for example, costs about 24 bucks. Next we've got the compact florescent. These are about 10 times more expensive than the incandescent bulb. This particular model right here - this costs about 5 bucks. Then we've got the Halogen, which replaces the flood lamp. This right here costs about 6 bucks and is about twice the cost of the lamp it's replacing.
But there's more to bulbs than cost: these use a fraction of the power of incandescent bulbs. And they last way longer.
This particular model right here is going to last you about 25 years, this particular model right here is going to last you about 7 years, and the Halogens right here are going to last you about 3 years.
So while these bulbs do cost more up-front, using less power and lasting much longer illuminates the savings. And you can find one to fit pretty much any fixture.
Bottom line? If you really want to cling to your 100 watt incandescents, you can still buy them until the end of the year. But sooner or later, you're going to need to replacements. The sooner you do it, the more you'll save. And we can help. We've got everything you need to know at MoneyTalksNews.com.
Source for this article: Valley Central
Comments