Save Your Money- LED light bulbs better choice over CFLs
LED bulbs are the hottest thing in lighting these days. However, they are expensive, which is why cheaper compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) are still very popular.
CFLs are supposed to save consumers money but a growing number of people are complaining that those energy savings are offset by the fact that they can fail long before they are supposed to.
Danielle Lin bought into the CFL hype a few years ago. He installed the energy-saving CFLs in his kitchen ceiling light and in his bathroom vanity light. Danielles aid he had heard over and over again that the bulbs save energy and last many years. That was wrong.
"They don't last long,” said Danielle
Danielle said he couldn't believe that some of his new bulbs were burning out after less than two years.
"They say they are going to last longer and pay for themselves. They are pretty expensive. I think I paid $13 for some of them".
CFLs cost between $1 and $9 each. They can last up to 15,000 hours, which is 10 times the lifespan of a standard incandescent bulb.
Manufacturers admit the bulbs' life is much shorter if it is turned on and off constantly, as in a kitchen, for instance.
"If we turned this on all the time, it would be great; they'd last a long time. And then we'd waste more electricity! So where's the gain here?” Danielle asked.
The Department of Energy now suggests not using CFLs if they are not going to be on for at least 15 minutes at a time, as in the bathroom.
Instead, use newer LED bulbs, which use as little energy as CFLs, but look like normal bulbs.
Home Depot recently lowered the price of its Cree line of LEDs to just $9 each - half the price of most LEDs.
LED is probably the way of the future. The technology is there, the price is coming down significantly.
LED bulbs will last for years, even in the kitchen or bathroom.
CFLs are great for living rooms and outdoors where you keep them on for several hours. For a bathroom, consider the newer LEDs so you don't waste your money.
