Compact fluorescent lamps save little or no money when used for standard household evening lighting, and they are ecologically more costly than equivalent incandescent lamps. Government regulations to force their use everywhere are counterproductive with both financial and environmental accounting. Expensive brands seem to do no better than economy brands. High power lamps have much shorter lifetimes than advertised. Since early 2014, prices have gone up and lifetimes have been falling significantly.
Ontarians are being ordered to stop using 'wasteful' incandescent light bulbs and to use solely 'green' compact fluorescents. We are told that their higher initial cost will be repaid in lower energy costs and a greener planet.
Really? Well, not for lamps used for ordinary household lighting, only for plant lights and similar uses.
First, we need real data on lamp life, not the fictitious ratings being touted by manufacturers based on idealized operation in their own laboratories. Here's data on the lamps that have failed for me between November 2005, when I moved into my current house and started keeping an accurate record of the lamps I installed there, and November 2016, 11 years. I'm an empty nester, and tend to get up and go to bed with the sun, so my lamp usage per day will probably be less than yours, except for my inside kitchen with no windows and my wall of aquariums.
| Type | Rated Hours | Actual Hours | % | use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GE FLE7/2/CAM/827 7W | 6000 | 21900 | 365 | 10 hr/day aquarium |
| Rona UltraMini 13W | 10000 | 19610 | 196 | 10 hr/day aquarium |
| Rona Ultramini 9W | 6000 | 19060 | 318 | 10 hr/day aquarium |
| Philips EL/mdT 11W | 10000 | 16700 | 167 | 10 hr/day aquarium |
| GE Biax 5W | 6000 | 15890 | 265 | 10 hr/day aquarium |
| Rona Ultramini 9W | 6000 | 14060 | 234 | 10 hr/day aquarium |
| GE Biax 5W | 6000 | 12400 | 206 | 10 hr/day aquarium |
| GE FLE7/2/CAM/827 7W | 6000 | 11600 | 193 | 10 hr/day aquarium |
| Rona UltraMini 13W | 6000 | 11600 | 193 | 10 hr/day aquarium |
| Rona Ultramini 9W | 6000 | 10790 | 179 | 10 hr/day aquarium |
| Rona Ultramini 9W | 6000 | 10150 | 169 | 10 hr/day aquarium |
| Rona UltraMini 13W | 6000 | 9970 | 166 | 10 hr/day aquarium |
| Rona 13W | 12000 | 9000 | 75 | 10 hr/day aquarium |
| Rona UltraMini 13W | 10000 | 8820 | 88 | 10 hr/day aquarium |
| Globe 13W | 6000 | 8670 | 144 | 10 hr/day aquarium |
| Rona UltraMini 9W | 6000 | 8540 | 142 | 10 hr/day aquarium |
| Rona UltraMini 13W | 10000 | 8520 | 85 | 10 hr/day aquarium |
| Philips EL/mdT 11W | 10000 | 8200 | 82 | 10 hr/day aquarium |
| GE 20W FLE20TT3/827 | 15000 | 8000 | 53 | 10 hr/day aquarium |
| Niagara TPN0413M 13W | 12000 | 7990 | 67 | 10 hr/day aquarium |
| Niagara TPN0413M 13W | 12000 | 7910 | 66 | 10 hr/day aquarium |
| Philips EL/mdT 11W | 6000 | 7420 | 123 | 10 hr/day aquarium |
| Rona UltraMini 9W | 6000 | 7300 | 121 | 10 hr/day aquarium |
| Sylvania CF23EL 23W | 12000 | 6648 | 55 | 8 hr/day kitchen |
| GE 20W FLE20TT3/827 | 15000 | 5900 | 39 | 10 hr/day aquarium |
| Rona UltraMini 9W | 10000 | 5570 | 56 | 10 hr/day aquarium |
| Rona UltraMini 9W | 6000 | 5390 | 90 | 10 hr/day aquarium |
| Globe BH4505 26W | 6000 | 4500 | 75 | 8 hr/day kitchen |
| Globe 23W | 10000 | 4072 | 41 | 8 hr/day kitchen |
| Rona UltraMini 13W | 10000 | 4040 | 40 | 10 hr/day aquarium |
| Sylvania CF23EL 23W | 12000 | 3688 | 31 | 8 hr/day kitchen |
| Rona UltraMini 13W | 12000 | 3600 | 30 | 10 hr/day aquarium |
| Rona UltraMini 9W | 10000 | 3410 | 34 | 10 hr/day aquarium |
| Philips EL/mdT 11W | 10000 | 3353 | 33 | 1 hr/day hallway |
| Rona UltraMini 13W | 6000 | 3280 | 55 | 10 hr/day aquarium |
| Globe 9W | 12000 | 3200 | 27 | 10 hr/day aquarium |
| Philips EL/mdT 27W | 10000 | 2964 | 30 | 1 hr/day basement |
| Globe 9W | 12000 | 2960 | 25 | 10 hr/day aquarium |
| Rona 13W | 12000 | 2920 | 24 | 10 hr/day aquarium |
| Philips EL/mdT 27W | 10000 | 2767 | 28 | 1 hr/day basement |
| Rona UltraMini 13W | 10000 | 2520 | 25 | 10 hr/day aquarium |
| Noma FLE26HT3/23 | 10000 | 2422 | 24 | 1 hr/day basement |
| Philips EL/mdT 27W | 10000 | 2192 | 22 | 1 hr/day basement |
| Noma FLE26HT3/23 | 10000 | 1879 | 19 | 1 hr/day basement |
| Rona UltraMini 13W | 10000 | 1640 | 16 | 10 hr/day aquarium |
| Philips ELJdT 42W | 12000 | 1780 | 15 | 10 hr/day plants |
| Philips Marathon 27W | 10000 | 1200 | 12 | 1 hr/day basement |
| Rona T2 13W | 12000 | 1180 | 10 | 10 hr/day aquarium |
| Rona T2 13W | 12000 | 1070 | 9 | 10 hr/day aquarium |
| Rona T2 13W | 12000 | 1090 | 9 | 10 hr/day aquarium |
| Rona UltraMini 13W | 6000 | 919 | 15 | 1 hr/day basement |
| Philips EL/mdT 15W | 8000 | 700 | 9 | 0.5 hr/day stairs |
| Luminus 13W 2913-E03 | 10000 | 600 | 6 | 2 hr/day bedroom |
| Globe UltraMini 13W | 6000 | 407 | 7 | 0.2 hr/day bathroom |
| Rona 13W | 12000 | 389 | 3 | 10 hr/day aquarium |
| Globe Ultramini 9W | 6000 | 300 | 5 | 0.2 hr/day hallway |
Now we can calculate the dollar savings to actually expect. First, the average 1000 hr incandescent lamp produces 14 lumens/watt, the average compact fluorescent 60 lumens/W. So, each watt to a compact fluorescent saves 3.3 watts compared to an incandescent. Home electricity in Ottawa Ontario costs 12c/KWH (mid-2009, GST and kWh-derived costs included). Electricity used within our homes during our heating season saves on home heating fuel, but adds to air conditioning costs during the summer. The length of the heating season is 7 months in Ottawa, the cooling season 2 months, so this factor will slightly decrease the energy savings calculated below.
Standard 60 W incandescent lamps cost $0.92 (taxes included) and last 1000 hours, so a fluorescent lamp that lasts 8000 hours saves $7.36 in replacement cost.
| Type | Hours | Cost | KWH saved | lamps saved | net saving | use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rona UltraMini 13W | 19600 | 2.80 | 582 | 19.6 | 85.13 | 10 hr/day |
| Philips EL/mdT 11W | 16700 | 5.69 | 606 | 16.7 | 82.42 | 10 hr/day |
| Rona Ultramini 9W | 19060 | 3.20 | 566 | 19.1 | 82.26 | 10 hr/day |
| GE FLE7/2/CAM/827 7W | 21900 | 3.99 | 501 | 21.9 | 76.87 | 10 hr/day |
| Rona UltraMini 13W | 1160 | 2.80 | 497 | 11.6 | 67.51 | 10 hr/day |
| Sylvania CF23EL 23W | 6648 | 5.70 | 505 | 6.6 | 61.02 | 8 hr/day |
| Rona UltraMini 9W | 14060 | 3.20 | 418 | 14.1 | 59.85 | 10 hr/day |
| Rona UltraMini 13W | 9970 | 2.80 | 427 | 10 | 57.64 | 10 hr/day |
| Rona 13W | 9000 | 2.79 | 386 | 9.0 | 51.82 | 10 hr/day |
| Rona UltraMini 13W | 9820 | 2.80 | 378 | 8.8 | 50.73 | 10 hr/day |
| Globe 13W | 8670 | 2.80 | 372 | 8.7 | 49.80 | 10 hr/day |
| GE 20W FLE20TT3/827 | 8000 | 21.79 | 528 | 8 | 48.93 | 10 hr/day |
| Rona UltraMini 13W | 8520 | 2.80 | 365 | 8.5 | 48.90 | 10 hr/day |
| Niagara TPN0413M 13W | 7990 | free | 343 | 8.0 | 48.48 | 10 hr/day |
| Niagara TPN0413M 13W | 7910 | free | 339 | 7.9 | 48.00 | 10 hr/day |
| Globe BH4505 26W | 4500 | 4.37 | 386 | 4.5 | 46.10 | 8 hr/day |
| Rona Ultramini 9W | 10790 | 2.80 | 320 | 10.8 | 45.59 | 10 hr/day |
| Rona Ultramini 9W | 10150 | 3.20 | 169 | 10.1 | 42.31 | 10 hr/day |
| GE Biax 5W | 15890 | 3.99 | 262 | 15.9 | 42.09 | 10 hr/day |
| GE FLE7/2/CAM/827 7W | 11600 | 3.99 | 268 | 11.6 | 38.84 | 10 hr/day |
| Philips EL/mdT 11W | 8200 | 5.69 | 298 | 8.2 | 37.57 | 10 hr/day |
| Globe 23W | 4072 | 4.71 | 309 | 4.1 | 36.12 | 8 hr/day |
| Rona UltraMini 9W | 8540 | 2.80 | 254 | 8.5 | 35.50 | 10 hr/day |
| Philips EL/mdT 11W | 7420 | 5.69 | 269 | 7.4 | 33.45 | 10 hr/day |
| GE Biax 5W | 12400 | 3.99 | 204 | 12.4 | 31.97 | 10 hr/day |
| Sylvania CF23EL 23W | 3688 | 5.70 | 280 | 3.7 | 31.30 | 8 hr/day |
| Rona UltraMini 13W | 5570 | 2.80 | 239 | 5.6 | 31.00 | 10 hr/day |
| GE 20W FLE20TT3/827 | 5900 | 21.79 | 389 | 5.9 | 30.37 | 10 hr/day |
| Rona UltraMini 9W | 7300 | 2.80 | 217 | 7.3 | 29.96 | 10 hr/day |
| Philips EL/mdT 27W | 2964 | 4.65 | 264 | 3.0 | 29.77 | 1 hr/day |
| Philips EL/mdT 27W | 2767 | 4.65 | 237 | 2.8 | 26.38 | 1 hr/day |
| Noma FLE26HT3/23 | 2422 | 5.08 | 210 | 2.4 | 22.46 | 1 hr/day |
| Rona UltraMini 9W | 5390 | 3.20 | 160 | 5.4 | 20.97 | 10 hr/day |
| Rona UltraMini 13W | 4040 | 4.14 | 173 | 4.0 | 20.74 | 10 hr/day |
| Philips EL/mdT 27W | 2192 | 4.65 | 195 | 2.2 | 20.74 | 1 hr/day |
| Rona UltraMini 13W | 3600 | 4.14 | 154 | 3.6 | 17.70 | 10 hr/day |
| Philips ELJdT 42W | 1780 | 14.68 | 247 | 1.8 | 16.56 | 10 hr/day |
| Noma FLE26HT3/23 | 1880 | 4.58 | 161 | 1.9 | 16.49 | 1 hr/day |
| Rona T2 13W | 2920 | 2.79 | 125 | 2.9 | 14.93 | 10 hr/day |
| Philips EL/mtD 11W | 3353 | 2.79 | 122 | 3.4 | 14.90 | 1 hr/day |
| Rona UltraMini 9W | 3410 | 3.20 | 101 | 3.4 | 12.09 | 10 hr/day |
| Rona UltraMini 9W | 3280 | 3.20 | 97 | 3.3 | 11.61 | 10 hr/day |
| Rona UltraMini 13W | 2520 | 4.14 | 108 | 2.5 | 11.15 | 10 hr/day |
| Globe 9W | 3200 | 3.20 | 95 | 3.2 | 11.15 | 10 hr/day |
| Globe 9W | 2960 | 3.20 | 88 | 2.9 | 10.07 | 10 hr/day |
| Rona UltraMini 13W | 1640 | 4.14 | 70 | 1.6 | 5.81 | 10 hr/day |
| Rona T2 13W | 1180 | 2.80 | 50 | 1.2 | 4.37 | 10 hr/day |
| Rona T2 13W | 1090 | 2.80 | 47 | 1.1 | 3.82 | 10 hr/day |
| Rona T2 13W | 1070 | 2.79 | 46 | 1.1 | 3.70 | 10 hr/day |
| Rona T2 13W | 389 | 2.80 | 17 | 0.4 | 0.36 | 10 hr/day |
| Luminus 13W 2913-E03 | 600 | 3.41 | 26 | 0.6 | 0.23 | 2 hr/day |
| Philips Marathon 27W | 1200 | 4.50 | 30 | 1.2 | 0.17 | 1 hr/day |
| Globe UltraMini 13W | 407 | 3.20 | 17 | 0.4 | -0.72 | 0.2 hr/day |
| Philips EL/mdT 15W | 700 | 5.69 | 35 | 0.7 | -0.88 | 0.5 hr/day |
| Rona UltraMini 13W | 919 | 2.80 | 3 | 0.9 | -1.61 | 1 hr/day |
| Globe Ultramini 9W | 300 | 2.80 | 9 | 0.3 | -1.45 | 0.2 hr/day |
As you can see, the less the daily use, the less money is saved. That's because turning a fluorescent light on causes about as much wear on the lamp as an hour of running.
The Sylvania CF23EL lamp package featured the statements, "Save $184 in energy costs", and "Lasts 11 Years!". The statements are misleading because both can't be achieved with the same lamp. If the lamp is used few enough hours per day that it reaches 11 years, the total hours will be so short that the savings will be minimal. If it is used under the laboratory conditions that achieve the savings quoted, the lifetime will be far shorter than 11 years. My actual lifetimes for the pair, used base up in a standard kitchen fixture for an average of 8 hours/day, were 1.3 and 2.1 years, the total energy cost saving $92.32
Modern compact fluorescents weigh twice as much as an incandescent of similar lumen output (the earliest ones weighed up to ten times as much) and the materials of which they are made are more toxic, so the environmental costs of production and disposal per bulb are higher. Not only is there mercury in them, the phosphors exposed when the glass is broken in a landfill are even more toxic than the mercury.
In short, compact fluorescent lamps save little if any money when used for standard evening household lighting, and they are ecologically more costly than equivalent incandescent lamps. They should only be used when left on for many hours at a time. Government regulations to force their use everywhere are counterproductive with both financial and environmental accounting.
Hopefully, the new LEDs will be better. I'm switching to them.