CFL Energy Savings

Lighting accounts for approximately 5 to 10 per cent of a home's energy use. CFLs are an excellent way to save money on your energy bill.

• If you heat your home with a geothermal heat pump, natural gas, or electric heating system, you will benefit from the installation of CFLs. If you install 6 CFLs in your home, the savings on your energy bill will range from $4.75 to $22.00 per year (depending on the factors listed below).
• In contrast, if you heat your home with propane, fuel oil, or diesel-generated electric heating systems, the installation of CFLs may result in an increase to your total energy bill. We do not recommend that these customers switch to CFLs.

The energy savings you will realize from installing a CFL in place of a traditional incandescent style bulb will vary depending on:

• the cost of energy used to heat your home;
• the seasonal efficiency of your heating system;
• whether or not your home is air conditioned.

Traditional incandescent light bulbs generate heat that contributes to heating your home in the winter. CFLs generate lower amounts of heat, so their installation increases the demand on your heating system in the winter, but reduces the load on your cooling system in summer.

CFLs last up to eight times longer than incandescent bulbs so you'll save time and money, as you won't need to replace as many bulbs.

The clean hydro-electricity you save in Manitoba can be exported to states and provinces that normally use fossil fuels to produce electricity; this reduces greenhouse gas emissions and benefits our environment.