When does it make good financial sense to consider eco-friendly light bulbs?
Eco-friendly light bulbs are a smart choice for lamps and fixtures that are on for at least three hours a day. This is based on a September 2009 national average residential electricity rate of $0.12 per kilowatt hour. In the dozen U.S. states (1) where hourly rates exceed $0.15, two hours of daily use is sufficient. Depending on the lamp type, you should save enough on electricity costs for a payback period under two years. And since all types of eco-friendly light bulbs last longer than traditional ones, there should be plenty of life left in them after payback.
