1204 01/14
Puget Sound Energy
P.O. Box 97034
Bellevue, WA 98009-9734
pse.com/myrebates
Energy-efficient
lighting
For your home
In this guide
4 Be in the know when you buy
5 Know your light sources
6 Your crash course on ENERGY STAR® benefits
10 Get the right fixture for the right light
10 Energy efficiency vocab cheat sheet
11 Trash CFLs the right way
About Puget Sound Energy
Puget Sound Energy is Washington state’s oldest
local energy company. We serve 1.1 million electric
customers and more than 760,000 natural gas
customers in 10 counties. For more information, visit
pse.com. Also follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
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Be in the know when you buy
Lighting facts
An informed buyer is a smart buyer. To get the most
out of your home lighting, it helps to have some general
knowledge about the types of lighting methods and
applications you are likely to find in your home.
Common lighting applications
Home lighting use can generally be divided into three
major categories:
1. Ambient/general lighting provides widespread
illumination and is often the main source of light in a
room – like ceiling fixtures and floor lamps.
2. Task lighting provides focused light for work and other
detailed activities like cooking or reading. Examples
include recessed “down-lighting” and table lamps.
3. Accent lighting highlights objects such as works of art
or design elements to create visual interest. Examples
include track lighting and wall sconces.
Energy-efficient lighting
You can visualize savings by considering alternative
products that use less energy for your lighting needs. For
most households, switching to compact fluorescent light
(CFL) bulbs or light emitting diode (LED) bulbs and fixtures
as an alternative to incandescent lighting saves money
over the products’ lifetime because they last longer and use
less energy.
ENERGY STAR qualified CFLs use 75 percent less energy
to create the same amount of light as an incandescent
bulb, and they last up to 10 times longer.
®
LED bulbs that meet ENERGY STAR criteria are the most
efficient lights that you can buy, using 80 percent less
energy than incandescent bulbs.
Talking numbers, conventional incandescent bulbs last
about 750 to 1,000 hours, whereas ENERGY STAR
qualified CFLs can last up to 10,000 hours, and ENERGY
STAR qualified LED bulbs can last up to 50,000 hours.
Know your light sources
Incandescent
Incandescent has been the most
common type of light bulb for home
lighting. Incandescent bulbs are simple,
inexpensive and versatile, but they are
also inefficient compared with newer
technologies. Since incandescent bulbs
create light through electrical resistance,
about 90 percent of the energy they
consume goes into generating heat rather
than light.
Halogen
Halogen lighting, a type of incandescent
lighting, is typically used to provide a
whiter, more focused beam for precise
task and accent lighting. Halogen is used
most effectively in low-voltage lighting
systems.
Fluorescent
Fluorescent light bulbs don’t use
electrical resistance to generate light.
They use energy more efficiently and last
much longer than incandescent lights.
Fluorescent lights are generally available in
two types: linear fluorescent and compact
fluorescent.
Light-emitting diode
Light-emitting diode (LED) technology is
proven to be long-lived and efficient for
applications such as home lighting, traffic
lights, flashlights, tail lights and holiday
light strands.
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Your crash course on
ENERGY STAR benefits
What is ENERGY STAR?
ENERGY STAR is a label given to more
than 60 categories of consumer and
commercial products that meets certain
energy-efficiency criteria set by the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency and
the Department of Energy. The ENERGY
STAR logo is an assurance that the
product requires less energy to operate, is
better for the environment, and can save
you money on energy costs.
The benefits of ENERGY STAR
qualified lighting
The easiest way to benefit from ENERGY STAR qualified
lighting is to install qualified CFL bulbs and pin-based
CFL fixtures in the areas of your home you use the most,
or where the light bulbs are the most difficult to replace.
Qualified lighting products provide:
Savings
While it is true that CFL bulbs and pin-based CFL fixtures
may cost more up front, each CFL product you install will
save you anywhere from $26 to $207 in energy costs over
its life.
Lifespan
ENERGY STAR qualified CFL bulbs are required to
last 6,000 hours, and many now last 8,000 to 10,000
hours. That’s six to ten times longer than the average
incandescent bulb! ENERGY STAR qualified CFL fixtures
with pin-based CFLs can last up to 20,000 hours.
Better quality
The latest generation of fluorescent technology uses
electronic ballasts, rather than the old magnetic versions
known for slow start-up, flickering and humming.
Attractive and stylish
CFL fixtures combine attractive style and design with
savings and long life, making them a wise investment.
ENERGY STAR qualified CFL fixtures use pin-based bulbs
that have the same aesthetic benefits as incandescentsocket fixtures.
Convenient sizes
More and more sizes of CFLs are becoming available
as the technology advances. In some cases, a CFL may
be smaller than the incandescent bulb it replaces while
producing the same amount of light! For most residential
applications, CFLs will fit just fine. If you are not sure about
the fit or are concerned that a bulb may protrude from a
diffuser or shade, check the bulb size prior to purchase.
Multiple applications
ENERGY STAR qualified CFLs can be installed virtually
anywhere you would put a conventional incandescent
bulb. Specialty CFL bulbs are available for dimming,
photocell, motion sensor and outdoor fixtures. Look on
the package to see if the bulb is specially designed for
these applications.
Warranties
All ENERGY STAR qualified lighting products come with
a two-year limited warranty. If your CFL or pin-based fixture
fails before that time, simply return it with the receipt to the
retailer, or call the toll-free number listed on the product or
package.
Energy-efficiency rebates
Energy
tip
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PSE has instant rebates available on
ENERGY STAR qualified CFL and LED
bulbs and fixtures. For more information,
visit pse.com/lighting or call a PSE
Energy Advisor at 1-800-562-1482.
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Where to use ENERGY STAR qualified CFLs
Where to use ENERGY STAR qualified LEDs
• Where lights are being used for three or more hours
a day, a CFL can maximize your energy and money
savings.
• LED bulbs can be used anywhere you would put
conventional incandescent and CFL bulbs, even in
dimmable fixtures, but it’s important to match the right
bulb to the right socket.
• A hard-to-reach socket—a CFL lasts longer, so you’ll
change it less.
• A CFL bulb may be an option when you need a
brighter light without exceeding a fixture’s maximumrated wattage.
• In dimmable fixtures, only use dimmable CFL bulbs.
Least efficient Most efficient
• LED bulbs can be used in motion-sensor fixtures and
photo cell fixtures that automatically turn lights on at
night.
• If you need even lighting in every direction, use an LED
bulb that is labeled omni-directional. Omni-directional
LED bulbs are well suited for fixtures where the bulb
points upwards such as in table or floor lamps and
wall sconces.
• Bulbs labeled directional are best in fixtures where the
bulb points downward or sideways such as in ceiling
fixtures and bathroom vanities.
1 year
2 years
7-10 years
25 years
Color
Dimmability
8
775
lumens
710
lumens
850
lumens
850
lumens
Warm
white
Warm
white
Warm
white
Warm
white
Bright
white
Bright
white
Cool
daylight
Cool
daylight
Fair
(require
dimmable
CFLs)
Great
(require
dimmable
LEDs)
Great
Great
How much light?
Life span
What kind?
10w
How efficient?
13w
What label?
43w
Step 2
60w
Step 3
LED
Step 4
CFL
Brightness
Halogen
(Avg. amount of light)
Incandescent
Energy
use
Step 1
Check out this step-by-step guide:
Look for lumens! Lumens are a better
measure of brightness than watts.
Lumens
450
800
1100
1600
Watts
40
60
75
100
Warm General use
Bright Reading and tasks
Cool Daylight for tasks, working
Efficient bulbs can save 28%-80%
compared to traditional incandescent bulbs.
Incandescent
Halogen
cfl
led
28%
78%
80%
Always look for the
ENERGY STAR label.
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Trash CFLs the right way
Disposal tips
CFLs contain a very small amount of mercury, so you
should not put used CFLs in the garbage. There are many
locations in your area that now offer proper recycling of
CFLs, and many are free of charge.
Mercury facts
Get the right fixture for the right light
CFL fixtures and pin-based CFL bulbs
ENERGY STAR qualified fixtures use pin-based CFL bulbs
that provide an additional benefit over just using CFL bulbs
in a conventional fixture. Pin-based CFL bulbs last up to 20
times longer than incandescent bulbs, and are sure to work
with the fixture they came in.
Pin-based CFL fixture options include floor and table
lamps, pendants, sconces, recessed lighting, outdoor and
flush-mount ceiling fixtures. While CFL fixtures may cost
more, they’ll save you hundreds in energy costs over the life
of each fixture.
Mercury is an essential part of CFLs and is what allows
them to be so efficient. No mercury is released when the
bulbs are intact or in use. Each bulb contains about five
milligrams of mercury that is sealed within glass tubing.
Older thermometers contain about 1,000 milligrams.
Manufacturers are taking steps to reduce mercury in their
fluorescent lighting products; some CFL bulbs now contain
as little as two milligrams.
What if a CFL bulb breaks?
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency offers
detailed instructions for safely cleaning up and disposing
of broken CFL bulbs. Visit epa.gov/mercury/spills for
current instructions.
For more information about the proper
disposal of CFL bulbs:
Energy efficiency vocab cheat sheet
Bone up on ENERGY STAR CFL and
LED terms
Tip
• Call a PSE Energy Advisor
at 1-800-562-1482
• Visit pse.com/recycling
Watt: The amount of energy required to power the bulb.
CFLs and LEDs use fewer watts and therefore use less
energy than incandescent bulbs to produce the same
amount of light.
Lumens: The amount of light that a bulb puts out. To
produce 900 lumens, a CFL bulb only needs 13 watts
whereas an incandescent bulb would need 60 watts.
Color temperature: For lighting, “color temperature” does
not refer to heat produced; it describes the appearance
of the light and is measured by degrees Kelvin (K). If
you want a CFL that mimics the “warm-toned” light of
an incandescent bulb, choose 2,700K or lower. To get a
“daylight” or “cool-toned” light for task areas, choose a CFL
bulb rated 3,500K or higher.
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