YONKERS, NY – The days ofinefficient lightbulbs are slowlycoming to an end and recent testsfrom Consumer Reports showcasemore than 30 different compactfluorescents and light-emittingdiodes that can brighten indoorand outdoor spaces. ConsumerReports’ comprehensive report onCFL and LED bulbs reveal thatmany problems of the earlier ver-sions have been overcome and thatthese new efficient bulbs lastlonger and use far less electricitythan the traditional incandescentbulbs. Shoppers now have a vari-ety of different bulbs to matchtheir needs. The full report will beavailable exclusively for Fans onConsumer Reports’ Facebook Page(www.Facebook.com/ConsumerReports). Also online atwww.ConsumerReports.org addi-tional information can be found onlightbulbs and further energy sav-ing products.

The Ratings put a spotlighton 60-watt equivalent CFLs andLEDs, as those are the most pop-ular types sold in the U.S. Out ofthe two types of bulbs tested,CFLs save money faster due totheir low cost. It usually takesless than a year to recoup thecost of most CFLs, according toConsumer Reports tests, whileLEDs can take four to 10 yearsto pay for themselves due to thehigh cost of the bulb. Also, CFLsnow have less mercury. Theamount in the bulbs ConsumerReports tested has dropped 60 to75 percent, compared withalready low levels they found in2008, without affecting perform-ance. Nevertheless, spent CFLsshould be recycled. Home Depot,Ikea, Lowe’s, and some ACEHardware stores will accept usedbulbs. Follow clean-up tips atwww.epa.gov/cfl/cflcleanup.html.

LEDs are the newest choice,with the highest price. The bestLEDs were still as bright as theincandescent they replaced, yetonly half were as bright as prom-ised. Consumer Reports foundthat all LEDs reached fullbrightness instantly, even atfrigid temperatures, providingwarm white light that was unaf-fected by frequently turningthem on and off. Energy usematched or exceeded claims.LEDs are supposed to last20,000 to 50,000 hours, or about18 to 46 years when used 3 hoursa day. Nearly all the LEDs arestill burning brightly after 3,000hours, and only four of the 100LEDs stopped working. CRRecommended picks includethree that were also evaluatedby 19 Consumer Reports staffers

in their homes, the PhilipsAmbientLED 12.5W 12E26A6060W, $40 for table or floor lamps,the EcoSmart LED Downlight10.5W 65W E26 ECO-575LDimmable (Home Depot), $50 forrecessed or track lights, and theEcoSmart PAR38 ECS 38 BrightWhite 75W 866194 DimmableLED (Home Depot), $45 outdoorflood light.

“You can find a CFL or LEDthat will give you the brightnessand light quality you like, and itwill save you around $50 overthe life of each CFL and any-where from $65 to $400 over thelifetime of each LED,” said CeliaKuperszmid Lehrman, deputyhome and yard editor atConsumer Reports. “Plus thesenew efficient bulbs last muchlonger than incandescent bulbs,so you won’t have to changethem as often.”

How to ChooseIt isn’t socket science, but

there are a few terms you need toknow before buying any energy-saving bulb. Energy Star-quali-fied bulbs meet high standardsfor brightness, color, and energyuse, and the mercury content iscapped in CFLs. Additionally, avariety of federal regulationswill be implemented in the com-ing years including a law thatrequires most screw-in bulbs tobe more efficient by 2014.

Look at lumens. Watts tellonly energy use, lumens measure

brightness. In spirals look for atleast 450 lumens if replacing a40-watt bulb, 800 lumens ormore for a 60-watt bulb, 1,100lumens for a 75-watt bulb, and1,600 lumens or higher whenreplacing a 100-watt bulb. Infloodlights look for a lumencount that is at least 10 timesthe wattage of the bulb replac-ing.

Don’t confuse brightness withcolor. The whiteness, yellowness,

or blueness of light is measuredby its temperature in kelvins.Incandescents produce a warmyellowish light with a color tem-perature of about 2,700K. At3,00K to 4,100K range give off acool, bright white light that’ssimilar to a halogen bulb, and5,000K to 6,500K bulbs mimicnatural or daylight, but can havea bluer tones that may be unflat-tering indoors. Use kelvins to getthe right color light becauseterms like soft white and warmwhite mean different things todifferent manufacturers.

Note CRI. In addition to tem-perature, the Color RenderingIndex indicates how accuratelycolors appear under the lightand ranges from 0 to 100, withdaytime sunlight at 100. Most ofthe tested bulbs are in the low80’s; a few reached the upper 80’sand low 90’s. A CRI of at least 80is generally recommended forinterior lights, and differences offewer than five points areinsignificant.

Read the package. As of Jan.1, 2012, a Lighting Facts labelmust appear on the packages ofmost bulbs to show brightness,energy use, estimated energycosts, expected life, light color inkelvins, and, for CFLs, mercurycontent. Note: Only the informa-tion on Energy Star bulbs hasbeen independently verified.

Check for rebates andcoupons. Visitwww.dsireusa.org/incentives orwww.energystar.gov to find utili-

ty rebates and search online formanufacturer rebates andcoupons.

Keep your receipts. The bulbsare supposed to last for years, sosave the receipts and UPC codes,which you will need to return abulb to the manufacturer orretailer.

© Consumers Union 2011. Thematerial above is intended for legiti-mate news entities only; it may not beused for commercial or promotionalpurposes. Consumer Reports® is pub-lished by Consumers Union, anexpert, independent nonprofit organi-

zation whose mission is to work for afair, just and safe marketplace for allconsumers and to empower con-sumers to protect themselves. Toachieve this mission, we test, informand protect. To maintain our independ-ence and impartiality, ConsumersUnion accepts no outside advertising,no free test samples, and has noagenda other than the interests of con-sumers. Consumers Union supportsitself through the sale of our informa-tion products and services, individualcontributions, and a few noncommer-cial grants.

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Consumer Reports Shines A Light On The Best CFL, LED BulbsCR’s First Full Report on LED Energy SavingsLightbulbs Finds More Choices and Savings

PAGE 14 PRESS & DAKOTAN ■ MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2011