Saket Vora

During the summer I made a post concerning CFLs - compact fluorescent lightbulbs, and how they are an easy way for people to reduce electricity consumption. I did a spot check around my house and created a spreadsheet that tries to analyze the cost savings of switching to CFLs.

I’ve cataloged just over 100 lightbulbs in my house in Cary. So far, about 50 have been replaced with CFLs. Estimating daily hourly usage (weighting the winter months more due to reduced sunlight), I predict a cost savings of about 80%. The CFLs save about $46 annually. I spent about $130 for all the CFLs, so I’m expecting a break-even point in just under 3 years. This fits decently enough in the average lifespan of CFL (about 6-7 years).

This raises several questions though. What percentage of the total electricity bill is due to lighting? This informs how much can CFLs reduce a total energy bill? I don’t have all the data, but I’m estimating that those 51 CFLs are reducing the annual electricity bill by about 7% — not that high of a number. There are secondary factors too. CFLs give off much less heat, which should make cooling less demanding during the summer months, but it is difficult for me to analyze that. Additionally, my house in Cary is likely unique in that we enjoy a large amount of natural lighting. Until dusk, overhead lights are not needed at all in the family room or kitchen. This is advantageous, because most of the daylight hours are spent downstairs. I remember that my house in Austin had terrible natural lighting — thus we had to spend more money on lighting.

My next step  is to catalog the major appliances and hunt down the significant sources of electricity consumption. Refrigerator, washing/drying machine, dishwasher, A/C unit, water heater (this might be gas though), and the A/V setup downstairs. (Our stove and oven is gas). I acknowledge we very wasteful with refrigeration. We never junked our old fridge, so we have 3 plugged in right now.

Download CFL Savings Estimator

I expect that lifestyle changes do more to immediately lower electricity bills. This is pretty obvious. However, we cannot expect society to adopt drastic changes. What are some reasonable changes though?

• Washing dishes without a dishwasher. i do this at my apartment, sure it takes a bit more time but isn’t a really big deal. families can have kids do it once they get older. I do not believe that the ‘improved sanitation’ that a dishwasher might provide is significant enough either. Our bodies are tough enough.
•  Washing clothes in cold water, with warm water washes used sparingly. I think this is reasonable. I’ll be the first to admit I’m not as fastidious about clothes as others, but I’ve been washing my clothes in cold water for the past 2 years and have not noticed any ill effects.
• Eliminating a clothes dryer is not a viable option. While it takes a big bite of electricity, the convenience is too high for society to stop using.
• Large families are an exception, but is it reasonable to expect a family of 4 use a single refrigerator? What do you use?
• Keeping the thermostat warmer in the summer, cooler in the winter. At both extremes, most units use electricity to achieve desired temperatures. I think this is a reasonable change too, especially if its 2 to 4 degrees.
• Choosing power efficient appliances that are often on standby (computers, a/v equipment).

What do you think?