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You may have heard that light bulbs are becoming more energy efficient to help you save energy, money and protect the environment. Looking for the ENERGY STAR can help you navigate the world of efficient lighting options with confidence.

Get the Facts

One small switch:

Switching from traditional lighting to ENERGY STAR qualified lighting is a smart move. With energy savings of 75% or more you can save about $6 per bulb or about $14 a fixture annually on your energy bill. The new light bulb standards only require bulbs to be 25% more efficient that leaves a lot of savings on the table.
Best bang for your buck:

By replacing your home's five most frequently used light fixtures or the bulbs in them with models that have earned the ENERGY STAR, you can save $70 each year.
Whole house:

The average U.S. home has about 30 light fixtures; a simple switch to ENERGY STAR lighting can earn you more than $400 savings per year on your electric bill!
Low maintenance:
ENERGY STAR qualified lighting lasts - about 10 – 50 times longer than traditional light bulbs. A CFL in your first grader's room will last until she's a teenager. An LED downlight in your newborn's nursery will last until he leaves for college. Spend more time enjoying life and less time on the ladder changing bulbs.
Big picture:

If every American home replaced their 5 most frequently used light fixtures or the bulbs in them with ones that have earned the ENERGY STAR, we would save $8 billion each year in energy costs and prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions from 10 million cars.
Deck the halls:
If every decorative light string purchased in the United States this year earned the ENERGY STAR, we would:
- Prevent 900 million pounds of greenhouse gas emissions per year, equivalent to the emissions from about 80,000 cars.
- Save more than 600 million kWh of electricity.
- Save about $65 million in annual energy costs.

How to Choose: The ABCs of Efficient Lighting

Appearance
Brightness
Cost

Text only version

How to choose starts with the knowing which light you want to replace and being informed about your energy efficient options.

If you are looking to install a new fixture you're probably most concerned with how it will look. ENERGY STAR qualified fixtures are available in a wide assortment of styles. Just ask your local retailer to show you their ENERGY STAR qualified models.

When replacing bulbs consider the tips below.

Light color or appearance

Lighting Facts label required by law
as of January 1, 2012

Click to see the options

Think about the purpose and the mood you want from your light. Most people prefer soft yellowish light in bedrooms, dining rooms and living rooms, or rooms with warm paint tones and opt for cooler white light in work spaces such as home offices, garages, outdoors or in rooms with cooler paint tones. ENERGY STAR qualified lighting products are available in a wide range of warm to cool white light. This information is available on the packaging in the Lighting Facts label (shown to the right). Learn more about light color.

Dimmer Switches

If the light is controlled by a dimmer switch look for an ENERGY STAR qualified bulb that is marked "dimmable" because not all are. The package or the manufacturer's web site should provide a list for dimmer compatibility.

Photo of a CFL being installed in a recessed can fixture

Recessed lighting

Recessed lighting is a perfect place for ENERGY STAR qualified reflector bulbs. ENERGY STAR qualified reflector bulbs are designed and tested to operate efficiently in this hot environment while non qualified bulbs and other types like spirals generally are not. ENERGY STAR qualified LED reflectors provide excellent light instantly in one direction and last about 22 years. CFL reflectors are also a good choice but have a less distinct beam of light and take a little while to reach full brightness.

Photo of a CFL installed in a 3-way fixture

Three-way bulbs

Does the fixture have a three way switch to provide three different light levels? If it does you'll need to look for an ENERGY STAR qualified bulb that is specially designed to provide three different light levels and marked "Three-way." Note: Three-way bulbs are among the list of bulbs exempt from the new light bulb standards.

Lighting controls

Is the fixture connected to any controls such as a timer, a motion sensor or a photo sensor? Check your controls and the bulb package to make sure they are compatible.

Learn more tips for how to get the most out of your bulbs.

How to Choose – Look for the Lumens (not watts)

You can find the brightness in lumens
right on the front of the package.

About lumens and the lighting facts label: From www.ftc.gov

Watts are simply a measure of power – the amount of electricity a bulb needs to operate, while the light output or brightness of the bulb is actually measured in LUMENS.
As light bulbs get more efficient they use less watts to produce the same amount of light as traditional bulbs. As familiar wattages disappear because of new federal standards their replacements will save money and resources – about $150 a year per household. With this change we need to learn something new – lumens – the measurement of light a bulb puts out. Luckily this information is right on the front of light bulb packaging and will be printed on bulbs by 2012.
As part of an effort to save energy and reduce United States dependence on foreign energy, Federal legislation is requiring the most common light bulbs (regardless of technology) to produce familiar light levels using less watts. The good news is that light bulb manufacturers support the new standard because it is already possible using today's technology and it fosters innovation!
Light bulbs of a variety of technologies, including incandescent, compact fluorescent and LED can already meet the new standard.
Below is a handy reference for those familiar wattage ratings. Learn more about brightness.

See the typical lumens from traditional bulbs so you can find the lumens you need in a more efficient ENERGY STAR model . Remember, to save energy costs, find the bulb with the lumens you need, then choose the ENERGY STAR qualified one with the lowest watts.

Lifetime Cost of ENERGY STAR Qualified Light bulbs Choose the bulb that will cost you the least in the long run, not just the lowest first cost.

New labeling requirements give you the information you need to compare bulbs true operating cost right on the front of the package.
Stop throwing your money away. Replace traditional bulbs that are still operating with ENERGY STAR qualified CFLs and recover your costs in about 6 months. Then rest easy knowing you've cut your lighting energy use by 75% and you won't have to change the bulb(s) for about 9 years.
ENERGY STAR qualified bulbs are 75% more efficient than traditional light bulbs, while initial compliance with the law only requires bulbs to be about 25% more efficient. To get the biggest savings, long life, and quality you can trust look for the ENERGY STAR.
Find out how much you can save