Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs: A Good Investment or Not?

Today in our economy we are faced with making many everyday decisions concerning finances. Even our daily essentials can seem like a big task when making small purchases; we try to cut costs and save money where we can. This is where energy efficiency and conservation come into play. One product that promotes both these aspects is Energy Star’s compact fluorescent light bulb. These light bulbs have both positive and negative aspects to them so the real question is, are they a good investment or not?

A positive aspect of these light bulbs is every bulb will save an average of about $30 dollars over its lifetime and pay for itself in about 6 months, resulting in 10,000 hours of light per bulb unlike most equivalent incandescent bulbs that last 1,000 hours. These light bulbs are very energy efficient and use about 75 percent less energy and will last 10 times longer than the average incandescent bulb. If every home in America switched one light bulb for a compact fluorescent bulb, combined as a nation we “would save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes for a year, more than $600 million in annual energy costs.” Another positive aspect is that since compact fluorescent light bulbs require less energy to emit light less coal would be burned therefore reducing carbon dioxide emissions into the air.

On the other hand compact fluorescent light bulbs have a negative side too. They contain small traces of mercury making their disposal troublesome. If the bulb is broken this heavy metal is very hazardous and could cause great harm to humans and the environment such as leaching into the water table causing lead poisoning or contamination of soils. The recycling and disposal options for these bulbs are very limited and the head of the Environmental Protection Agency program agrees “that not enough has been done to urge people to recycle compact fluorescent bulbs and make it easier for them to do so.” Also another negative aspect is the higher cost of these bulbs which can be an automatic turn off for the average consumer.

Overall, when weighing the positives against the negatives I believe compact fluorescent light bulbs are a good investment. They will help reduce energy costs and consumption while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Even though they maybe more costly than the normal incandescent light bulb they are much more beneficial in the long run, and that is what consumers need to focus on.