September 2007

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I read the Carolina Country article about compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) in your September 2006 issue. Like most people I am hesitant about spending more money for something that people claim will save me money in the long run or down the road. We are creatures of habit. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. It’s worked OK for 100 years, why change it?

Well, I know it’s hard to believe, but the CFLs do save energy and reduce my home’s lighting cost. In 2005, I started keeping up with the number of kilowatt-hours that I use each month. No real reason, I just wanted to look for spikes or months that I used the most current. I had heard about these light bulbs from friends, but I really did not believe there was a lot of savings there. In February 2005, I was shopping in Roses and I found six CFL bulbs in a pack. I bought them, and the following day I replaced six regular 100-watt bulbs with the CFLs.

After reading your article I went to the data that I had gathered and made a chart. It clearly showed a substantial reduction in kwh usage. They work! They do save energy and lower cost. Thanks for your magazine. I get a lot of good information from it.

Joe Callis Jr., Clinton, South River EMC.