Use CFL or LED lights.
You have two choices to replace your old-school, energy-guzzling lights: LED or CFL. They're both good choices, produce very good light, are direct screw-in replacements for your current bulbs, and save tons of energy. So there's no need to obsess over which one to choose. LED is generally better but the current cost is still high—$18 for an LED bulb vs. $3 for a CFL. You'll make up the extra cost for the LED from the energy it saves, but if you can't stomach the up-front cost, just go with CFL. Either way, the calculator at right shows you how much you can save.
If you've heard the scare-mongering about mercury in CFLs, relax. The median exposure for a broken CFL is 0.07 mcg, while six ounces of Albacore tuna has 48 mcg—700 times as much. See this paper by LBL scientists for more.) And of course, you can always use a CFL that has a plastic cover, or use an LED light.
Here's a table showing the difference between the different kind of light bulbs:
Incandescent vs. CFL vs. LED Incandescent CFL LED Cost Cost over 25,000 hours (bulbs + electricity) $317 $78 $65 Cost for one 60-watt equivalent bulb $1 $3 $18 Cost over 25,000 hours (bulbs only) $17 $15 $18 Cost over 25,000 hours (electricity only) $300 $63 $47 Life Life (in hours) 1500 5000 25,000 Life reduced by cycling on/off A wee bit A little bit Not at all Light output over its life Constant ~70% of initial brightness
by end of life (30% drop)Applications Dimmable All models Some models Can be used in enclosed fixtures All models Som models Never Good in freezing temperatures All models Rare models All models Characteristics Light quality Excellent Excellent Excellent Time needed to get fully bright Instant ~1 minute
(some models are instant)Instant Heat generated (source, source 2) A lot A little A lot Toxic mercury No Barely No How breakable Fragile Fragile Strong Watts for 1600 lumens 100 25 16
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