Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs

[Download the full Power Lite CFL document here]

Compact fluorescent lights (CFL's) fill our rooms with equal light while using about seventy-five percent LESS electricity than incandescent bulbs. Using CFLs is an inexpensive and effective way to easily cut your energy usage.

True, the CFL bulb costs more. But an Energy Star CFL lasts up to 10 times longer. In the end the reduced energy costs will mean that purchasing and using a CFL costs less than a third as much as purchasing and using the old dinosaur bulb. Here’s a comparison of costs based on 10,000 hours of light (nearly 7 years if the light is on 4 hours a day):

Cost savings in using a CFL - $35.74 or 71%!

GIP&L can help your congregation encourage CFL use by your members and can even supply bulbs and study guides for your congregation to sell as a fundraiser. Interested in a CFL fundraiser? E-mail us!

Compact Fluorescent Lights vs. incandescent bulbs

What is a CFL?
A compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL) is fluorescent lighting designed to be used in a standard (incandescent) light bulb socket. Because incandescent bulbs work by heating up a metal filament until it is white-hot, they produce mostly heat, which is why a fluorescent bulb using only 13 watts of electricity can produce light comparable to an incandescent hogging 60 watts.

How does a CFL benefit the environment?
Each 13-watt CFL, over the expected 10,000 hour life of the bulb, will save 470 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity compared to a 60-watt incandescent. If your electricity comes from coal-fired powered plants, this translates to a reduction of over 730 pounds of carbon dioxide (which contributes to global warming), 1.6 pounds of nitrogen oxides (which contributes to ozone and acid rain), and 4.3 pounds of sulfur dioxide (which contributes to haze and acid rain).

Where can I use CFL's?
A 13-watt CFL is only 1/2 inch longer than a standard incandescent bulb. Though thicker near the base, it is smaller in maximum diameter, so it will physically fit almost anywhere an incandescent bulb will. Higher wattage CFL's are bigger, so they may have some size constraints. CFL's should not be used in fixtures that are recessed and enclosed, on a dimmer, or exposed to moisture. Desk, table, and floor lamps are ideal locations as are many indoor ceiling fixtures.

Are there any issues about disposal of CFLs?
No major environmental group or organization with their solid science knowledge base has spoken any concern about the disposal of cfl’s. There is a small amount of mercury vapor in all fluorescent lights. Mercury is a toxic substance but the amount in CFL’s compared to all the other sources of mercury exposure (thermometers, regular long tube fluorescent lamps, emissions from coal-fired power plants, etc.) is so little that it does not substantially contribute to the problem of mercury exposure. In fact, the amount of mercury produced from generating the electricity to burn an incandescent bulb is more than that from the electricity for a CFL and the amount contained in the CFL combined. So there is still less mercury going into the environment from using CFL's.

We should be disposing of all our used mercury-containing products by appropriate hazardous waste methods. So, after the long useful life span of a CFL is over, we recommend disposal through hazardous waste handling systems, but it is not obligatory to do so. A few progressive recycle facilities have found reclamation markets for fluorescent lights. Currently IKEA stores and now Home Depot stores will take back CFL's or you can order recyclepaks on our ShopIPL website for shipping bulbs directly to a recyling facility. If you need larger sizes of recyling boxes, visit RecycleYourCFL.com. You can also check Earth 911 for other disposal options. For more information on mercury in CFL's, check out the EPA's fact sheet.

How widely available are CFL's? Where can you buy them?
CFL’s have recently become widely available and the prices have dropped precipitously. Of course, we'd love it if you bought them from us at our ShopIPL shopping cart, but Walmart, Kmart, Lowe’s, Home Depot and Costco also carry a wide selection - prices vary. Make sure you look for the Energy Star logo on any CFL you buy.

Download complete fact sheet

CFL Sales for Fundraisers

Through our new online shopping cart ShopIPL, GIPL can now offer a CFL fundraising kit for your congregation. Members of the congregation will have the opportunity to order a variety of our most popular items through a centralized order form and your faith community will receive $1 for every item you sell. Shipping for ShopIPL fundraisers is free! If you'd like to learn more about doing a CFL fundraiser, e-mail us.

Advent and Hanukkah CFL Kits Available!

We’d love to get your congregation involved in our compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL) projects. You can raise money for missions and other activities while protecting God’s creation by selling Advent or Hanukkah CFL kits.