Do the Twist with Riverside Public Utilities by installing compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) in all your lighting fixtures. It's a fast, easy way to make your home more energy efficient.
Here are some great reasons to switch over to CFLs:
- Energy Star-rated CFLs use about 75% less energy than standard incandescent bulbs and last up to ten-times longer. That adds up to great savings on your electric bill and reduces your impact on the environment.
- Replacing incandescent bulbs with 15- and 20-watt CFLs can help you save around $130 in energy costs over their lifetime and offset more than 2,000 pounds of greenhouse gasses. And that's with just two CFLs!
- If every American home replaced just one incandescent light bulb with a CFL, we could save enough energy to power more than 3 million homes for one year and prevent the emissions equivalent of more than 800,000 cars.
- To get you started on the path to saving energy, Riverside Public Utilities will give you two CFLs to install in your home - absolutely free!
- After installing your new CFLs, take the Energy Star Change a Light, Change the World pledge to support conservation and sustainability.
Here are answers to some common questions about CFLs:
What's the best way to clean up a shattered CFL?
Compact florescent light bulbs contain small amounts of mercury, so cleaning up a shattered CFL should be done carefully. You should take special precautions to avoid getting cut by the broken glass. To clean up, sweep the broken particles into a sealable plastic bag for recycling at an authorized facility.
Where can CFLs be recycled?
Home Depot
3323 Madison
(take them to Customer Service)
Household Waste Facility
1790 Agua Mansa Road
(Open Saturdays 9am-2pm
Do not place CFLs in curbside blue bins or solid waste containers. For information about how to recycle CFLs, call 951-826-5311 or go to www.riversideca.gov/cure.
Do CFLs have a warranty?
Energy Star-qualified CFLs have a two-year warranty. If the bulb fails within the warranty period, return the bulb to your retailer.
Can CFLs be used in all kinds of fixtures?
Compact florescent light bulbs should not be used in fully enclosed lighting fixtures or ceiling fans. Most CFLs should not be used with dimmer switches or 3-way lights, unless you purchase CFLs specially designed for these uses.
