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Saving electricity lighting
Compact fluorescents light bulbs (CFL's) will use 70% less electricity than regular light bulbs and last for several years longer.
Saving electricity lighting,
These lamps not only use less electricity, they're also heat efficient. In other words, they don't heat up like incandescent bulbs. I think that CFL's should be mandatory in all homes. A few hundred lamps may not make a huge difference towards reducing South Africa's energy crisis -- but a few million of these, would definitely make a difference.
If only 300 000 households used energy-efficient lamps in their homes, the total saving would be an astronomical 45 million Watts.
No wonder Australia pushed for regulation to have these installed in all home in Australia.
CFL's do however, have a few downsides:
#1: The most notable is that they start off dim and may take a minute (or two) to warm up to full brightness.
#2: Most CFL's can't be used on dimmer switches; to use them on dimmers you need to buy the kind marked for dimmer use.
#3: CFL's contain small amounts of mercury, therefore buying unknown "cheaper" brands may expose you to more mercury than is good for you.
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Like other fluorescent lamps, CFLs contain mercury; this complicates their disposal and causes a health risk when they are broken.
Source:
wikipedia - Compact fluorescent lamp
When you buy CFL bulbs, note that the package will be labeled to show you how many watts it's equivalent to. A 15-watt CFL bulb, for example, will say something like "equivalent to 60 Watt". They have to say that otherwise people would look at the package and think, "15 watts? That's not nearly enough light!" Typically a 15-watt CFL bulb puts out as much light as a standard 60-watt bulb.
Don't buy "cheapies"
CFL's generally last for years longer than regular bulbs, BUT the cheap kind can burn out quickly. Buy names like "Philips" or "Osram" which sell at under R30.00 each at your local Builder's Warehouse.
RESOURCE: The Efficient Lighting Initiative
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