Save Money With Compact Fluorescent Lights

The seasonal darkness is descending, and it's going to descend even more when Daylight Saving Time ends on November 1. We will all be flipping the light switch more often, making that electric meter spin a little faster for the next few months. The resulting bump in the power bill isn't necessarily inevitable, however, and you don't have to freeze in the dark to keep it under control.

One of the easiest ways to get a grip on your energy use is to install compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs in every fixture in your house where they will work. One big exception is lights operated by dimmers. CFLs use about a fourth less power than incandescent bulbs - a 13 watt CFL puts out the same about of light as a 60 watt regular bulb. Add up the difference over time and you're looking at serious savings.

Yes, CFLs cost more initially, but you can even beat that by buying yours at one of many local stores offering rebates from NV Energy. I just bought a subsidized pack of four 13 watters at Scolari's for $2.99. Over the long haul, you'll also be buying fewer bulbs - CFLs last thousands of hours longer than those old fashioned models.

Nothing is perfect, including CFLs. They contain a tiny amount of toxic mercury, meaning proper disposal is not just tossing them in the trash. Keep your dead ones and take them to any of numerous places around town that accept them for recycling. It's important to recycle CFLs and keep that mercury out of the landfill.

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