Efficient Lighting: View From a New Dad with a Middle-Class Budget
As many know, in 2007, then-President George W. Bush signed the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, which contained a provision that would enact new lighting efficiency standards for light bulbs, transitioning the country away from the traditional incandescent light bulb that most Americans have grown accustomed to and moving toward other lighting, such as compact fluorescents (CFLs).
Like most Americans in the current economy, I have to make weekly financial decisions that affect my household budget. Between diapers and the unexpected bouts of doctor visits, I’m forced as a middle-class American to cut my expenses and save money where I can.
Enter the lighting transition. On its face, Americans could view this transition as the federal government making our purchasing decisions for us. The economy is still bad, so when given a choice between a $4.77 three-pack of 60-Watt incandescent bulbs or $5.47 for one energy-efficient, 14-Watt bulb (a 60-Watt equivalent), a lot of people choose the three-pack of incandescent bulbs. Since the upfront costs are cheaper, it looks like I’m saving about $11. I certainly would have made this decision in the past because that $11 could buy me a big box of 320-count baby wipes. In my mind, I’ve just made a great financial decision. To take it even further, if I had to replace 10 light bulbs, I’d think I was saving around $40.
However, I’m not really saving $11. I’m actually costing myself money. By buying the incandescent, I have pretty much guaranteed that I’m going to be spending another $1.59 for one bulb in 11 months (the average lifespan of an incandescent), along with an additional $7.58 for the energy costs associated with the incandescent. In total, for one bulb I’ve spent $8.51 on the incandescent, plus another $1.59 to replace the bulb when it dies in less than a year. That’s $10.76 per year for one light socket!
In other words, by skimping out in the beginning and trying to save $3.88 when I bought the bulbs, I’ve actually just cost myself over $10.
If I had bought the one CFL at $5.47, I would have spent only around $1.62 per year to keep it lit. The average life span is around 9 years, so I don’t have to worry about replacing it in 11 months. In total, I’ve spent $7.24 each year on the CFL. So, by buying the CFL, I’ve actually saved $3.52 instead of spending over $10.
If I have 10 lights that need replacing over the course of a year, incandescent bulbs will cost me almost $110. Buying CFLs would only cost me $70. That’s $45 in savings and 2 more boxes of diapers. And then there is the convenience factor, since CFLs last so long, I don’t have to worry about going to buy new bulbs every 11 months, plus I’m saving every year, because I would have had to buy 10 incandescent bulbs at $1.59 for one socket over the course of a lifespan of just one $5.47 CFL.
My point is that times are tough, and any way I can find to save money is paramount. I don’t have the money to invest, but energy efficiency seems like the best way for a middle-class family like mine to make sound financial decisions that can help their bottom lines in the future.
So maybe the lighting transition isn’t so bad. Maybe it’s something I should have been doing in the first place. But now that I’m doing it, maybe I could get my HBO back.
