Easy-Bake Oven sheds light on savings
I’m constantly looking for better ways to explain Spending Smart strategies, whether in print or during television and radio interviews. One struck me recently as I watched a TV rerun of “Friends.” Monica mentioned something about cooking with a light bulb in an Easy-Bake Oven. That illuminated a light bulb for me.
The child’s toy Easy-Bake Oven bakes cookies and cakes with a 100-watt incandescent light bulb. Think about that. It’s a great way to explain that incandescent bulbs are ancient technology. They are actually small heaters that happen to give off some light. They are wildly inefficient as sources of light.
That’s a good reason to try a compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) or what we usually call a fluorescent bulb. The EPA estimates you’ll save at least $30 per bulb over its life. The bulbs are a little more expensive upfront, but they use a quarter of the electricity and can last 15 times longer than regular incandescent. That makes CFLs much cheaper in the long run.
Try CFLs in your five most-used, non-dimmable lights. The quality and color of CFLs is so much better than a generation ago. So, if you were dissatisfied with them years ago, they’re worth trying again.
