The Culprits...Part 1

17% of all energy is consumed in your home, which ironically is the same energy expended by every motor vehicle in this country. We could save a fortune as consumers by eliminating the 3 main offenders. With electricity increasing, better technologies will save more money in a shorter period.

Culprit Number 1: The Incandescent Bulb




It is amazing to me this product still exists. The technology is from 1803 and was first mass produced in 1876. 90% of its consumed energy is heat, while only 10% is actual light, so you are also paying for additional HVAC in the summer. Also, incandescent lasts only 7 months, so keep the ladder handy. Incandescent in all its forms, which includes low voltage and halogen, is wasting tons of energy and costing you money.




Heck, I would love to say buy the LED. LED emits zero heat, has a 20 year lamp life, and is 7-8 times more powerful than incandescent. Other than some isolated fixtures, LED is still expensive with a long payback on the bulb side.

Color rendering fluorescent is a great replacement. It is much cooler and lasts 10 times longer than an incandescent. It is 70% efficient as opposed to 10%, so its payback is probably less than a year.

We will look at appliances on Monday.