The Consumer Intelligence Test Saving the Earth via Choice of Light Bulb

The Evil Incandescent Bulb 100 Watts 100 Watts 1000 hour Lifetime 1000 hour Lifetime Initial cost = 0.75$ Initial cost = 0.75$ Energy Cost = 10 cents per KWH Energy Cost = 10 cents per KWH Energy usage over lifetime = 100 Watts x 1000 hours = 100 KWH Energy usage over lifetime = 100 Watts x 1000 hours = 100 KWH Total Cost of Ownership = $ x 100 = $10.75 Total Cost of Ownership = $ x 100 = $10.75

1000 Hours Later Get in your Internal Combustion Vehicle and drive back to the light bulb store to get another

The Consumer Paradox Communist Fluorescent Bulb 10,000 hour lifetime 20 Watts for same Luminosity $5.00 initial cost (now cheaper in many stores) What, 5 bucks for a friggin’ light bulb, besides it looks funny (e.g. it’s a communist plot)

Thinking it through Total energy used over lifetime = 10,000 hours x 20 watts = 200 KWH Total cost = $ KWH x.1$ = 25$ The equivalent cost of buying 10 incands (not counting gas) is 10 x = $107.50

So What the Hell are you Doing?  If you had plunked down 5 bucks to begin with you would have saved $82.50 over this 10,000 hour period (about 3 years) and this is just for one light bulb!  Multiply this by 20 light bulbs per house and you save $1600 plus KWHs of energy.  Like, Duh