The Dollars and Cents of Compact Fluorescent Bulbs

When I read that Australia had become the first country in the world to ban incandescent bulbs I had two thoughts. First, I said to myself, "This is a great step in the right direction for the fight against global warming." And second, I asked myself, how come Australia was able to pass a law like this without a massive public outcry?

To help answer this question I decided to look into replacing all of the light bulbs in my house with compact fluorescent bulbs for a hefty fee of roughly $100. But what would I really be doing? Aside from the environmental benefits of compact fluorescent bulbs and playing a part in preventing global warming, will I benefit from switching all of my bulbs? And if so, how? Will I save any money? Will I be able to recuperate the money I spent?

Well, the answer is a resounding "YES!"

One bulb = $2.49 + tax
Energy Use = 15 watts = 60 watt incandescent light bulb light output
One year saving for one bulb averaging three hours of use = $12
Average Life of Bulb = 7 years at three hours of use per day
Nate Would Replace 30 Bulbs
Nate's Pre-Replacement Energy Use = 1,800 watts
Nate's Post-Replacement Energy Use = 450 watts
Nate's Savings Per Year = $360
Nate's Savings Over the Life Time of the Bulbs = $2,520

With this analysis, Australia's decision to outlaw incandescent makes perfect sense. The government is able to play a part in preventing global warming, and the citizens actually will recuperate their expenses and attain additional savings by switching.

This seems pretty reasonable right? So why can't we do it?



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