UPDATE: As of 2021, the light bulb swap is no longer being offered. Please properly dispose of CFL bulbs by taking to the special collection boxes at Lowes or Home Depot. Incandescents can be thrown in the regular landfill – they do not contain hazardous materials like CFLs. It is better to throw out a working light incandescent light bulb rather than wait for it to stop working.
Did you know that on average, lighting accounts for as much as 15% of a household’s energy consumption? However, this usage can be easily reduced if lights are only used when needed and bulbs are efficient.
As described in the table below, there are significant differences between the three main types of light bulbs: LED, CFL, and incandescent.
Only 10% of a conventional incandescent light bulb’s energy consumption goes towards lighting, while the other 90% is wasted in heat generation! While Compact Fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) are almost as efficient as LEDs; they do not last as long and they contain mercury, which means that they need to be collected separately for proper disposal (Home Depot and Lowe’s offer free recycling!) – all the more reasons for choosing LEDs when replacing light bulbs.
Thanks to Ameren Missouri Energy Efficiency Education program, we are able to offer free ENERGY STARS LED light bulbs to anyone who would like to swap their CFL or incandescent bulbs. These LEDs use ~9.5 watts and have an estimated lifetime of 15,000 hours. Based on an average use of three hours per day, the annual energy cost of the bulb is $1.14.
Interested in Receiving a Free LED Bulb?
Stop by the Office of Sustainability, located on the second floor of the Schnuck Pavilion, Monday through Friday anytime between 9a and 5p. It’s very likely that someone will be there, but you can also email sustainability@wustl.edu to make sure someone will be there to receive you.
Bring your CFL or incandescent bulb(s) – working or non-working, or your old/non-working LED(s) in order to receive a new one(s). We want to take your working incandescent bulbs! The net impact of the energy savings far outweighs waiting until they burn out.
***Note: the amount of free LED is limited to 10 per person as stock is limited.
Other Tips & Resources to Reduce Energy Use at Home:
- Check out the Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Living Guide for more tips on how to bring energy efficiency at home!
- Ameren offers significant discounts (about 50%) to all Ameren customers (most of us living in Missouri) on their energy efficiency products through their online store. Visit this page to learn more.