Lighting is an extremely important part of our lives. The proper light can help us perform various tasks throughout the day and night; it can affect our comfort and mood and help us feel safe and secure in our homes.

But did you know in the average U.S. home, lighting can account for as much as 20% of the electric bill? The easiest way to start saving energy in your home today is to replace your standard incandescent light bulbs with energy-efficient compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs. By installing energy-efficient lighting, you can reduce your energy use and its effects on the environment.

Why use CFL bulbs?
CFL bulbs last longer and use less energy than standard incandescent bulbs. In recent years, CFLs have proven to be the most significant lighting advancement developed for home use.

CFL bulbs offer the same amount of light with a twist.
When purchasing new light bulbs for your home, consider purchasing ENERGY STAR^®-qualified CFL bulbs. Look for a CFL with a similar or higher lumen output as the incandescent bulb you're replacing. For more information and a guide to help you select the proper CFL for your home or business, visit ENERGY STAR^® online at energystar.gov.

Numerical Lighting Facts from ENERGY STAR^®

• If every American home replaced just one light with an ENERGY STAR^® bulb, we would save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes for one year, reduce more than $600 million in annual energy costs, and prevent greenhouse gases emissions equivalent to more than 800,000 cars.



• If every American home replaced its 5 most frequently used light fixtures or the bulbs in them with CFLs that have earned the ENERGY STAR^® label, we would save nearly $8 billion each year in energy costs, and together we'd prevent the greenhouse gases emissions equivalent to nearly 10 million cars. Note: This fact is based on the replacement of 9 bulbs in 5 high-use fixtures.



• ENERGY STAR^® qualified bulbs and fixtures use about 75% less energy than standard incandescent bulbs and last up to 10 times longer.