New Light Bulb Labels Simplify Saving Energy on Lighting
Saving money on your home energy bills can be as simple as choosing the right light bulbs. And guess what? Choosing the right light bulbs is about to get a whole lot simpler. That's because the FTC is going to start requiring new up-to-date labeling on light bulb packages that will provide much-needed information for consumers who wish to save money on electricity.
New Labels on Front of Package
The first thing that you will notice as different with the new labels on light bulbs is that the front of the package will announce the bulbs' brightness in lumens. When looking at light bulb packages today, we normally see them measured in watts. The difference is that watts measure energy use whereas lumens measure brightness.
You may be wondering how switching away from a measurement that tells you about energy use will help you to save energy. That's a valid concern. However, the problem with buying light bulbs measured in watts is that the same watts can have very different brightness levels depending upon the type of light bulbs you're using (such as CFL vs. LED). You want to choose the light bulb that is going to supply the correct amount of light for the longest period of time. This prevents frequent changing of light bulbs or overuse of light bulbs, which ultimately helps to save energy in the home. And don't worry; you can still get information about the wattage of the bulb by checking out the back label of the package.
Nutrition-Style Labels on Back of Package
The new light bulb package requires that all light bulbs be marked with a label that looks very similar to the nutrition labels we see on our food packages. This is where you will be able to find information about the wattage of your light bulb. You will also find a lot of other information here that will help you make smart lighting choices to save energy around the home.
There are two crucial pieces of information that you'll benefit from on these labels. The first is the estimated life expectancy of the bulb. And the second is the estimated annual cost of using the bulb. By looking at this information, you can easily see if a light bulb is going to be affordable to have in the home and if it's going to last a long time.
How to Use These New Labels
The new light bulb labels will start appearing on packages in mid-2011. Once they do, you can use the information on them to compare one light bulb to another. You can easily glance at the labels to see which light bulb will last the longest, which will have the brightest light, etc. This will allow you to choose long-lasting light bulbs that offer you the right amount of light for the lowest energy costs. Rather than choosing the cheapest bulb at the store, you can truly make an informed decision about the most energy efficient light bulbs for each fixture in your home.
Publish Date: 2010-08-18 09:50:36
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