Light Up Some Savings
Speaking of saving on utility bills, one simple way to do that while helping the environment at the same time is to switch to compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). According to the July issue of Real Simple, while CFLs cost more than regular bulbs, they use 70% less energy and last more than 10 times longer—10,000 hours vs. 750 hours with incandescent bulbs.
Matt’s View
To get started with compact fluorescent light bulbs, think about the lights you use most often and switch those over to CFL bulbs. According to Energy Star, a joint program between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy, if every U.S. household replaced just one incandescent light bulb with a CFL bulb, the amount of pollution prevented would be the equivalent of removing one million cars from the road. Check out the Energy Star web site , which has information about tax credits for making various energy efficient home improvements as well as rebates on energy efficient products.
One note for those who are especially “green,” according to Consumer Reports’ Greener Choices web site , CFLs contain mercury and should be disposed of carefully. Organizations that help locate a disposal facility near you include Lamprecycle.org and Earth 911 .
This article filed in: Saving
Managing Money by The Book
- "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer." - Romans 12:12
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