Say goodbye to watts and hello to lumens. Compact fluorescent and LED bulbs use fewer watts, or less energy, to produce the same amount of light, or lumens, as incandescent bulbs. But the color of the light varies by the type of bulb, so you need more information than just a bulb's watts to get the light you'd like. The Lighting Facts label, patterned on nutrition labels on foods, will give you much of that information. It lists the bulb's lumens, or brightness; its estimated yearly energy cost; how long the bulb is expected to last; its appearance, from warm to cool; how much energy, or watts,...


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If you're buying CFLs or considering LEDs, look for rebates from retailers and utilities and  at www.energystar.gov and www.dsireusa.org/incentives. And save your receipts in case there's a problem. Also keep in mind: Think about the fixture CFLs last longer and perform better if they're on for 15 minutes or more. That longevity makes them good for hard-to-reach fixtures. But they take time to reach full brightness, from about 30 seconds for spirals to roughly 2 minutes for recessed bulbs and 3 minutes for outdoor bulbs, so don't use them in staircases or other areas where you need instant...


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