Lighting

Did you know?

Households typically spend about 22% of their annual energy bill on lighting – much more than they need to. The most common light bulb (also called a lamp) is incandescent and uses three times as much energy as an ENERGY STAR qualified compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) to produce the same amount of light.

Highlighted Resources

Why Buy an Energy-Efficient Lighting?

Think about how many fixtures in your home contain energy-wasting, standard incandescent bulbs. Besides screw-in, wall and ceiling fixtures, many homes also have ceiling fans equipped with incandescent lamps.

  • Save energy. ENERGY STAR qualified CFLs provide the same amount of light (lumens) as standard incandescent bulbs, but use 66% less energy.
  • Save money. Save $35 annually if you replace four standard incandescent lamps with CFLs.
  • Reduce pollution. If every household in the United States replaced one incandescent light bulb with an ENERGY STAR qualified CFL, it would prevent an amount of pollution equal to removing 1 million cars from the road.
  • Save time and hassle. CFLs last 10 times longer than incandescent lamps, so you do not have to change the bulb for four to five years.
  • Save on cooling costs. CFLs give off less heat than standard incandescent bulbs.
  • Improve safety. ENERGY STAR qualified torchieres operate at lower temperatures than halogen torchieres, reducing risk of fire.
  • Get rebates. Your local utility may offer rebates for buying ENERGY STAR CFLs, light fixtures, torchieres and ceiling fans. Visit Rebates, Incentives & Services to find these programs.

Next Steps

Find Rebates, Incentives & Services

Rebates for energy-efficient lighting equipment are available from utilities and others. Some utilities will exchange old halogen torchiere fixtures and incandescent bulbs for ENERGY STAR qualified torchiere fixtures and CFLs, at no cost. Search now.

Energy Tips

Place ENERGY STAR qualified CFLs in the fixtures you use most frequently. CFLs are most efficient when they operate for two or more hours at a time. More tips.

Product Guides

See Flex Your Power's guide to energy-efficient lighting for more detail about what makes it energy efficient, how to make the best choice and for a list of manufacturers. Product Guides.