Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs, or CFL’s as they’re commonly called are finally becoming a huge thing in the world of lighting. Why has it taken so long? I can recall in 1990 (or so) when they first hit the market. The Earthlight was the first big hit bulb, but it was big, heavy expensive and sold only moderately well. I was in California then, and even with all the earth-friendly folks out there, it was a hard sell. When I moved back here to Loveland, CFL’s were and even harder sell. Nobody seemed to be very ineterested in a bulb that flickered, lit slowly and cost $10.00. Then came the big electrical crunch in California 4-5 years ago. The stores in California, along with the utility companies, were selling thousands, where they used to sell dozens.
The bulbs have also finished that final push to become what people want. They’re smaller, cheaper, they light up instantly and last a long, long time. That brings me to today, where CFL’s are quickly becoming a huge part of our light bulb inventory. Just yesterday I placed orders for more than twenty new types of CFL’s. We will soon have the best selection of CFL’s around. We’ll have CFL’s to fit every common bulb in your house, from your floods, indoor and out, to your chandelier to your bathroom vanity. Not to mention we’ll have a better selection of comon “A” or pear shaped bulbs for standard lamps and fixtures.
I worked for years with the manufacturers to get them to come out with a multi-pack of CFL’s, so people could buy them just like regular bulbs. Well they finally did so, and that has quickly become our best seller. So much of the cost was in the packaging that it kept the per bulb price around 4-5 dollars. Now the price is around 2 dollars per bulb.
Still not convinced? Consider this: I have replaced enough regular bulbs in my house to equal over 1500 watts in electricity saved. That’s equal to running your average electrical space heater. They’re also much cooler than regular bulbs, which is another plus on the hot summer days.
Still not convinced? Check out two things. One, www.EnergyStar.gov for even more information, and two the City of Loveland/Platte River Power Authority CFL rebate program that is coming this fall to our store. Stay tuned for more details on the rebate program, it will be great!