By: I stopped in at Home Depot earlier this week to get some air fresheners for a listing I have. The carpets had been shampooed, and as the house was vacant, the dampness in the air was just a bit musty. While I was there, I noticed that compact flourescent light bulbs (CFL bulbs) were much cheaper than I remember them being. Upon closer inspection, there was a tag that noted “Special pricing provided by APS” on the shelving next to the bulbs.
Special pricing indeed.
 |
This style compact flourescent light bulb has been available for a while now. They used to cost between $2 & $3. Thanks to APS, this pack of 4 bulbs cost me just $3. That’s less than $1 a bulb, which is a huge price reduction, making them less expensive than an equivalent indandescent bulb. |
 |
These floodlight style flourescent bulbs do cost more. This 2 pack cost me $6 or $3 a bulb. A standard 3 pack of indandescent bulbs runs $7, or $2.35 a bulb, so they do cost a bit more, but not much. |
According to the packaging, each bulb should save a fair amount over the long run in utility bills. Each bulb should also last longer than it’s indandescent equivalent, meaning that even the bulb didn’t save in energy costs, they would save you money in replacement bulb costs. Basically, at this price, they are a no-brainer.
In operation, flourescent bulbs do take a bit of time to warm up. In the morning, you do notice that for the first 60 seconds or so, the lumen output of the bulbs is definitely lower, possibly as low as 50% of the rated output. 60 seconds later, they are burning at least as bright as the old indandescent bulb, if not a tad brighter.
As long as APS is sponsoring this special pricing, I’ll be taking advantage and stocking up on CFL bulbs.
1 response so far ↓
[...] APS encourages Phoenix home owners to go greener [...]
Leave a Comment