Sunday, November 1, you’ll be turning back your clocks and turning on your lights a lot earlier to deal with the longer, darker nights. It’s the perfect time to replace the energy-wasting bulbs in the lights you use most with the best energy-efficient light bulbs available: compact fluorescents and LEDs.

Here’s a guide to help you figure out what bulb to put where – and how much money you’ll save when you do.

Download Here

NOTE: This guide is reprinted with permission from the Natural Resources Defense Council and Ecova.com. 

You can find LEDs and CFLs in hardware stores and big box stores like Home Depot and Lowe’s. We sell a variety in our Big Green Purse Amazon store, too. If you are willing to pay a little more upfront for LEDs, you won’t regret it because they’ll last so long. Whatever you buy, make sure they’re ENERGY STAR certified. Here are 3 worth taking a look at:

3-Pack from Feit Electric – They’re dimmable, last over 22 years, and use only 9.6 watts to replace a 60 watt bulb.

Hyperikon LED – Buy them singly or in a 4-pack. Also a 60-watt equivalent, with a soft white glow.

SunSun Lighting LED – This is a 40 watt equivalent that uses only 6.5 watts, so it will save more than 80% of the energy a traditional incandescent uses. It promises 25,000 hours of warm light.

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FIRST, WHY SHIFT TO LEDS?

Here’s what Helga has learned about LEDs.

Energy-efficient lighting technology is a great way to reduce pollution, help stop climate change, improve our health and help us save money. That’s especially true of bulbs that use LEDs, also known as light emitting diodes.

Reduce Air Pollution – LED bulbs help reduce air pollution, making the air healthier to breathe for kids and others who suffer from asthma, heart disease and many respiratory ailments.

Most household energy still comes from coal-burning power plants. About 12% of the energy we use at home powers our lighting, like ceiling fixtures, under-counter lights, and table and bedside lamps. An LED uses 70-90% less energy than a standard bulb, limiting the need to burn that much more coal.

Stop Climate Change – Speaking of energy, if every household replaced just one light bulb with one that has earned the ENERGY STAR, we would save enough energy to light two million homes for a whole year. We would also prevent greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to that of 550,000 vehicles. LEDs are a terrific solution to climate change.

Save Money – Any time we save energy, we save money. Though an LED bulb costs a little more up front, it saves a whole lot more during the life of the bulb. According to ENERGY STAR, a single LED bulb can save $80 in electricity costs over the lifetime of the product.

PLUS – LED technology is so efficient, one bulb can last as long as 22 years or 25,000 hours. That’s particularly convenient for hard-to-reach places like ceilings and outdoor fixtures.

Why Prefer ENERGY STAR- Certified LED BULBS? BETTER QUALITY, MORE SAVINGS!

Some LEDs claim to save energy but fall far short when it comes to what they actually deliver. ENERGY STAR means high quality and reliable performance, particularly in the following areas:

• Long Lasting: ENERGY STAR certified LED bulbs are put through rigorous long term testing to simulate real life use and carry a minimum 3 year warranty. That’s why one LED bulb can last more than 20 years!

• Light Distribution: LED bulbs that have earned the ENERGY STAR will match the light distribution of the incandescent bulbs they advertise they are replacing.

• Color Quality: 6 different color metrics are used to make sure that consumers get the best color quality from the first day of purchase to after years of use.

• Dimmability: All ENERGY STAR certified bulbs must indicate on the front of the package whether or not they are dimmable. If they are, a list of compatible dimmers must be provided.

WHAT DOES IT TAKE FOR AN LED BULB TO GET ENERGY STAR CERTIFIED?

All ENERGY STAR certified lighting products are subject to thorough testing and review before they can bear the label, including:

o Verified compliance with more than 20 separate industry standards and procedures

o Third-party testing of products off the retail shelf

o Rapid cycling of bulbs thousands of times to find early failures

o Testing to stress the products in operating environments similar to how you will use the product in your home

With 70% of U.S. light sockets still containing inefficient bulbs, the potential is huge for American consumers to find lighting options that save them energy, money and help protect the environment from climate change. LED bulbs are quickly gaining steam as the most innovative and long lasting alternative to incandescent bulbs.

WHAT DO ENERGY STAR-CERTIFIED LED BULBS COST?

ENERGY STAR certified LED bulbs are experiencing dramatic changes in price. At some stores you can now buy an ENERGY STAR LED bulb for as low as $5 with in-store rebates. But remember, even if the bulb costs $10, it will save you $80 in reduced electricity costs over its lifetime.

HOW CAN YOU TELL IF A BULB IS ENERGY STAR-CERTIFIED?

Look for the label on the package. Here it is on the most recent LED I got.

WANT MORE INFORMATION?

ENERGY STAR is a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) voluntary program that has been helping businesses and individuals save money and protect our air and climate through superior energy efficiency for over 20 years.

To learn more about ENERGY STAR certified LED bulbs, visit www.energystar.gov/led.

NOTE: I am a long-time advocate of energy efficiency and LED technology. I work as a consultant to help educate the public about the importance of buying ENERGY STAR-certified LED bulbs, but my expert opinion remains my own.

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However, these days my bulb of choice is the LED, or Light Emitting Diode.  While both CFLs and LEDs offer a number of advantages, LED (Light-Emitting Diode) lighting has surpassed CFLs for many consumers, including me.

A Different Type of Mechanism Makes LEDs Better than CFLs

To be able to understand why LEDs have an edge over CFLs, consider the different ways in which the lights function.

With CFLs, electricity passes through a mixture of gases – generally magnesium and argon – which are contained in a thin glass tube, the inside of which has been coated with a special phosphorous powder. The electrical current stimulates and excites the gas within the tube, which then emits energy that passes through the phosphorous coating in the form of visible light.

LEDs are not manufactured with any type of gas or conductive filament. Instead, they rely on a semiconductor material. As electricity travels through this material, its electrons start moving at a faster rate, releasing energy perceived as light.

Because of the nature of the semiconductor, LEDs are more durable than CFLs, marking what has become one of the most important advantages they offer. Plus:

• Lower Cost Over the Long Term – Although it may appear that the initial investment into LED lighting is higher than that of CFLs, the long-term savings can be quite substantial, mostly due to the number of operating hours each type of bulb can provide. While CFLs have a useful life of up to 10,000 hours, LEDs can provide as much as 5 times that amount, meaning the need for replacement bulbs will decrease exponentially over a long period of time, cutting costs significantly.
• Color Availability – CFLs can only produce two colors, a cold bluish type of light, and a warmer yellower type. In stark contrast, LEDs can be manufactured in almost any color imaginable, allowing them to serve a wider range of functions and situations, making them adaptable to every possible need. Sites such as HitLights offers a selection of colorful LED lighting for any given occasion.
• A Lower Rate of Energy Consumption – Even though CFLs save a good amount of energy when compared to incandescent bulbs, LEDs are king when it comes to energy efficiency. For example, an LED bulb will use 300 kilowatt hours of electricity during its 17-year lifespan. At 20 cents per kilowatt hour, calculated SFGate.com, the lifetime electricity cost of an LED bulb is $60. You would need five CFLs to match the lifespan of one LED bulb, during which time those five CFLs would use 600 kilowatt hours of  electricity at a cost of $140. No contest!
• Outdoor Lighting – LEDs are preferred outdoors because they enhance the look of different environments. Says lighting specialist Bruce Paul of Passion Lighting, “Landscape lighting has completely gone from non-LED to LED, bringing with it an energy reduction of around 80 percent. And, the amount of light you receive is unbelievable.”
• No Mercury – Some consumers worry about CFLs because they contain a very tiny amount of mercury, a toxic metal that has been linked to a variety of illnesses. Though we are exposed to more mercury as a by-product of burning coal, people still don’t like the idea of bringing mercury into their home. There’s no mercury in LEDs.
• Size – LEDs come in a wide variety of sizes, including very small sizes that perfectly accommodate down-facing lights as well as lamps and ceiling fixtures.
• LEDs are Cool – Actually, they’re cooler than CFLS. That’s because LEDs convert most of the electricity they use into light. Incandescents, and CFLs to a lesser degree, convert the electricity they use into heat. Try touching an incandescent after it’s been on for a while and you’ll see what I mean.

When it comes to durability, maintenance, and environmental impact, LEDs are leading the way into a new age of safe and efficient lighting, one which consumers are getting to know and appreciate more than any other before it.

NOTE: Many thanks to Passion Lighting for sponsoring this post. Sponsorships allows us to provide expert content at no cost to you. Our editorial opinion remains our own.

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What is an LED?

 LED stands for “light emitting diodes,” semiconductor devices that produce visible light when an electrical current is passed through them. This technology makes them far superior to incandescent bulbs, which waste a huge amount of energy generating light by using electricity to heat a metal filament until becomes “white” hot.  Until LEDs started moving into the market, compact fluorescents were the most energy-efficient option for consumers. CFLs are still a good choice, because they’re 75% more efficient than incandescents. But LEDs are better yet, because they’re even more efficient than CFLs, durable, versatile and so longlasting. Read on to learn more about these benefits.

LED Benefits

I have many LEDs in my home. Here’s what I like about them.

Durability: LEDs last a really long time. One LED can last anywhere from 5 to 10 years, with some bulbs lasting as long as 100,000 hours – 11 years of continuous operation, or 22 years of 50% operation.  That means I don’t have to spend a lot of time changing bulbs. This is especially useful for hard-to-reach locations, like ceiling fixtures, wall sconces, and porch lights. Even if an incandescent lasts 1,000 hours, the LED lasts 100 times longer!

Save money: LEDs help reduce my electricity bill. Though an LED is more expensive to purchase, in the long run, it is much cheaper to operate. A quick review of prices at my local hardware store showed LEDs on sale for as little as $5.97 a bulb. The cheapest incandescents cost around a dollar a bulb. Let’s do the math: For an extra $5, you get a bulb that lasts 100 times as long! That’s almost $100 saved in light bulb costs, let alone the money you’ll save on your electricity bill. Imagine if you replace 10 incandescents in your home with 10 LEDs. You’ll save $1,000 just in light bulb purchases. That’s pretty hard to beat.

 Bonus: Many utility companies now offer their customers discounts when they purchase LEDs. Sunlite, the sponsors of the post, is giving away $1,000 of free LED products to one consumer who enters their Facebook contest here.  Anyone can enter!

 LEDs are cool. Yes, they’re “cool,” if you mean hip. But more importantly, they’re cool to operate. Unlike incandescent or halogen light bulbs, LEDs don’t radiate heat. This is especially important in the summer, when air conditioning sends electricity costs through the roof.

 No mercury. Compact fluorescents contain a very small amount of mercury. While usually not dangerous at home, CFLs add this toxic chemical to our landfills when they’re thrown away. LEDs are safe to use, and safe to dispose of.

 ENERGY STAR certified. The best LEDs available are also those that meet the high standards for performance and quality set by the Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR program. You know from reading this blog that I’m a big fan of ENERGY STAR products because they are well-made, deliver reliable service, and help me save energy and money. ENERGY STAR LEDs meet more than 20 separate industry standards and procedures and have been tested by independent third-parties to meet their claims.

 Nice light. LEDs come in a variety of brightness and color options. Choose soft white/warm for kitchens, dining and living rooms, bright white for bathrooms, hallways and offices, and daylight for security, garages, and laundry and utility rooms.

 Versatility.  LED bulbs can be used in pretty much any lighting fixture you have. Living room table and floor lamps, kitchen and bathroom ceiling lights, recessed fixtures, porch lights, desk lights. Once you decide to go LED, you shouldn’t have a problem finding the right bulb to fit your need.

In the average U.S. home, lighting accounts for about 20% of the electric bill. Why not cut that down significantly by installing LEDs? You’ll start saving money immediately. And won’t it be great not to have the hassle of changing bulbs so often?

NOTE: Thanks to the Sunlite lighting company for sponsoring this post. Sponsors enable us to bring you expert content at no cost to you. Our editorial opinions remain our own.

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Simply bring in your expired, unbroken CFL bulbs, and give them to the store associate behind the returns desk. The bulbs will be handled by an environmental management company that will coordinate CFL packaging, transportation and recycling to maximize safety and ensure environmental compliance.

“With more than 75 percent of households located within 10 miles of a Home Depot store, this program is the first national solution to providing Americans with a convenient way to recycle CFLs,” said the company’s Ron Jarvis, senior vice president, Environmental Innovation.

What’s the appeal of CFLs? They  use up to 75 percent less energy, last longer and cost less over time than incandescent bulbs. The average household can reduce its energy bills by $12 to $20 a month by using CFLs. The bulbs were once accused of emitting a harsh, glaring light. But many bulbs generate a softer, yellower light now, increasing the appeal of using them for any room in the house.

In addition to recycling CFLs, The Home Depot plans to introduce more dimmable compact fluorescents within the year. Home Depot’s bulbs contain 2.3 to 3.5 milligrams of mercury, which is below the National Electrical Manufacturers Association recommendation of 5 milligrams or fewer. It is a small amount, equivalent to the volume of the steel ball in the tip of a ballpoint pen. By comparison, home thermostats contain about 1,000 times more mercury than the common CFL.

The company says it sold more than 75 million CFL’s in 2007, saving Americans approximately $4.8 billion in energy costs and preventing 51.8 billon pounds in climate-changing greenhouse gases from entering the atmosphere over the life of the bulbs.

The Home Depot is not only encouraging consumers to change their light bulbs. It’s doing the same in its own stores. The company expects to save $16 million in annual energy costs by switching all of its U.S. Light Fixture Showrooms to CFLs by the fall of 2008.

The CFL recycling program is an extension of The Home Depot’s Eco Options program. Eco Options, launched in April 2007, is a classification that allows customers to easily identify products that have less of an impact on the environment.

Switching from traditional light bulbs to CFLs is an easy change consumers can make to reduce energy use at home. According to the EPA’s ENERGY STAR(R) program, if every American switched one incandescent bulb to a CFL, it would prevent more than $600 million in annual energy costs and prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions from 800,000 cars.

NOTE:  Consumers can also recycle CFLs at any IKEA store.

Thumbs up to both Home Depot and Ikea!

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All of which makes for a very exciting time to have a new environmental book out – especially one that aims to make sense of what’s “green” versus what’s being “greenwashed.”  That’s the question I’ve been asked most frequently, especially during the dozens of radio interviews I’ve done since the book’s pub date March 1. Everyone wants to do something to make a difference. Not everyone knows where to start, or what purchases are really worth the money. Words like “natural,” “biodegradable,” and “eco-friendly” throw people for a loop. Do they really mean the product or service deserves Mother Nature’s green star? Not necessarily, and a big part of my job right now involves directing shoppers to certified goods that actually live up to their marketing claims.

I’ve been impressed that so many people have turned out to my book signings – given that another big concern for people who want to go green is lack of time! Most people don’t realize that being “eco” can actually simplify your life –  sometimes I need to roll out the light bulb example to prove my point (a compact fluorescent light bulb lasts ten times as long as an incandescent, so put one in and forget about it for seven years…).

Speaking of light bulbs, perhaps what’s most gratifying about the book is watching the proverbial light bulb go on behind people’s eyes when they realize how much clout their consumer power has. This has been especially true for women, most of whom haven’t realized before that, because they spend $.85 of every dollar in the marketplace, they have the power to tell manufacturers what to make (rather than constantly hear from companies about what they should buy).

If not just the book sales, but the e-mails, too, are any indication, women are glad to throw off the old cliché about “loving to shop” as they embrace their potential to become the true arbiters of the new green marketplace. What’s not to love about that?

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Choose quality over quantity. Simplify your needs overall. Then, buy clothes, jewelry, toys, tools, furniture and other commodities that are made to last. You may spend a few more dollars up front but save money in the long run when you don’t need to replace items that break or wear out quickly.

  Buy reusables. Compare a sponge to a roll of paper towels. One sponge may cost as little as $.99. A roll of paper towels runs around $1.99. But one sponge lasts as long as SEVENTEEN ROLLS of paper towels. You could save as much as $33 in paper towels before you have to throw the sponge away.  (Meanwhile, keep sponges fresh by washing in the dishwasher with the dishes; microwave on high heat for 30 seconds to kill germs.)

Switch to compact fluorescent light bulbs. The CFLs may cost $2-4 more than the incandescent bulb you’re used to. But the CFL uses 66% less energy and lasts ten times as long. So over the course of the lifetime of the bulb, you can save as much as $30-$50 on electricity. Plus – think of all the time you’re saving changing light bulbs.

Forget bottled water. When you buy bottled water, you’re buying a plastic bottle, a label, the energy to transport the bottle to your store, a bottle cap, and the water inside the bottle — which, almost half the time, is actually tap water!  And even though water is very cheap when it flows out of your tap, it can cost as much as 10,000 times more when it’s served in a bottle. Buy a reusable water bottle and fill it up at your own tap. If you’re worried about water quality, use the money you save on bottled water to buy a filter for your faucet.

Save gas. This sounds like a “no brainer,” but you’d be surprised how many people waste gas – and money. Pump up your car tires to improve fuel efficiency by 3.3%. Use cruise control for as much as a 14% fuel efficiency gain. Go to Gas Buddy to find the cheapest gas in your driving range. Car pool to share driving costs with others.

Buy in bulk. You pay nearly twice the price for the same weight when you buy small, individually wrapped servings of a product rather than the bulk size. Laundry detergent, fabric softener, dishwasher detergent, shampoo, soap, conditioner, snacks, soft drinks and many other items offer a bulk or ‘economy’ size. Even buying a regular half-gallon container of juice is cheaper than buying individual juice boxes.

Plug into a power strip. 40 percent of the energy used to power consumer electronics is devoured when the devices are turned off. That’s nearly 5 percent of the total electricity American homes consume. A power strip lets you plug several appliances or lots of office equipment into one efficient outlet you can easily turn off, automatically cutting power to all devices that are plugged into it.

Take a tax credit. New fuel-efficient hybrid vehicles save gas and earn you tax credits, too. The amount, as determined by the IRS, ranges from $250 to $3150.

Use Craig’s List or Freecycle. Before you pay full price for furniture, appliances, sporting equipment or lawn and garden tools, go “shopping” online – at clearinghouses that help you acquire the goods you need at no or low cost.

Donate. Giving your used clothing and household goods to the Salvation Army, your local church, or a local charity for veterans lightens the load at the landfill and earns you a tax write-off for your charitable donations.

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But let’s back up a minute.

I’ve criss-crossed the country over the last few weeks as the featured “green living” expert at the Texas Conference for Women, Toyota’s “In the Interest of Women” Conference, and the American Bankers Association Annual Convention, where I spoke to spouses of convention attendees.

Many of the people I met were startled to learn that women collectively spend eighty-five cents of every dollar in the marketplace. They were even more energized by the idea that they could use their economic clout to force manufacturers to produce eco-products. Which brings us back to the light bulb. Women want a better, safer bulb.

In every one of the seven seminars I’ve given over the last three weeks, women have expressed reservations about buying energy-efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs.  Some women say they just won’t buy them until the mercury is completely removed. Others said they bought the bulbs, took them home, couldn’t bear to install them, and returned them to the store.

What women don’t know is how little mercury the bulbs contain, especially compared to the alternative: the mercury emitted by coal-fired power plants when they create electricity to power incandescent light bulbs. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, CFLs contain an average of 5 milligrams – about the amount that would cover the tip of a ballpoint pen. (By comparison, older thermometers contain about 500 milligrams of mercury. It would take 100 CFLs to equal that amount.) Coal-fired power plants generate twice as much mercury to keep incandescent light bulbs burning.

Bulb manufacturers have committed to reducing mercury in bulbs by the end of 2007. Neolite, an Energy Star-certified company, already manufactures a bulb that contains only 1 milligram of mercury, yet still uses up to 75% less energy than an incandescent lamp. Efficient LEDs (light emitting diodes) do not contain any mercury at all.

Of course, you can help prevent any of the mercury in the bulb from escaping into the environment by handling it properly. Be somewhat careful when taking the bulb out of its packaging. Hold it by its base – not the glass — when screwing and unscrewing it. For more handling tips, see http://earth911.org/mercury/.  Rather than throw CFLs in the trash when they burn out (which won’t be for 7-10 years), contact www.epa.gov/bulbrecycling/  to find a nearby recycling location.

To save energy, slow climate change, and reduce mercury build-up in the environment, energy-efficient lights win over incandescent bulbs hands down.

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