Mar 24 2008 11:13AM | Permalink | Email this | Comments (0) |
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This seems a little wacky, but a new Canadian study says that in cold climates, switching to CFLs from incandescent bulbs may not be a no-brainer. The study's not available online, but you can read about it here. (hat tip to the How the World Works blog).

It goes to the idea that incandescents, because of their energy inefficiency, give off heat that can help warm a house in the winter. Basically, it depends where your heat and electricity come from. If, for instance, your power comes from hydroelectric sources and your heat comes from fossil fuels, your environmental impact may be less if you don't switch. But if all your utilities are fossil fuels, CFLs are the way to go.

This rule, of course, doesn't apply if you live in a warm weather area or during the summer, when the increased heat given off by incandescents would raise utility costs because of increased air conditioning use.

(If this hasn't been enough exciting talk about light bulbs for you, visit the Lamps Plus sponsored blog on HousingZone.)