Lighting technology has come a long way since Thomas Edison invented the incandescent bulb in the late 1870s. Unfortunately, many Canadians still tend to rely on a product that, while proven and reliable, has changed little over the past 100 years.

Standard incandescent bulbs are inherently inefficient because most of the electricity they consume is used to produce heat, rather than light. Compact fluorescent lamps, on the other hand, can produce the same amount of light as an incandescent bulb using a fraction of the energy.

For example, a 15-watt ENERGY STAR qualified compact fluorescent lamps can typically produce the same amount of light (800 lumens) as a 60-watt standard incandescent bulb, using only a quarter of the energy. Similarly, a 100-watt incandescent bulb can be replaced with a 29-watt ENERGY STAR qualified compact fluorescent lamp, with no loss of light output.

Although the purchase price of compact fluorescent lamps is higher, their energy savings – and the fact that they can last up to 10 times longer – make them a bargain compared to incandescent bulbs. They can fit in almost any fixture and are suitable for almost any lighting application.

Compact fluorescent lamps are also good for the environment because lower energy consumption means fewer greenhouse gas emissions.

For more information on energy-efficient lighting and other ENERGY STAR qualified products, call Natural Resources Canada's Office of Energy Efficiency toll-free at 1 800 387-2000 or visit energystar.gc.ca. Or write to Energy Publications, Office of Energy Efficiency, c/o S.J.D.S., Gatineau, Quebec J9J 3N7.