Our first official test of the Belkin Conserve Insight Energy-Use Monitor is complete! Last Tuesday, we posted about the monetary gains of using compact florescent light bulbs (CFL) and we decided to use our energy-use monitor to see the gains for ourselves.
To determine which incandescent bulb to compare to our 23-watt ENERGY STAR CFL bulb, we consulted the CFL purchasing guide and determined that a 100-watt incandescent bulb would be the equivalent regular bulb wattage to test. We then attached a standard table lamp to the Belkin device and tested each light bulb individually. Assuming that the lamp was run continuously for a year and the cost of electricity was $0.11/kWh, the results were as follows:
A 100-watt incandescent bulb: $104/year
A 23-watt ENERGY STAR CFL bulb: $27.97/year
The results speak for themselves. CFLs use about 70% less energy than equivilant standard bulbs and also last nearly 8 times longer, saving you a significant amount of money over the bulb's lifespan. Why wouldn’t you make the switch?