Incandescents, CFLs and Easy Bake Ovens

By now you have probably heard that compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) use less energy and last longer than incandescent bulbs but here is something else to consider...

Standard incandescent bulbs create more heat than light, up to 90% of the energy these bulbs use is given off as heat. When running AC, incandescent bulbs are actually working against you.  If you switch to CFLs your cooling costs will go down along with your lighting costs.

Here's a good example of how much heat is generated by incandescent bulbs: a 100 watt bulb in an Easy Bake Oven reaches temperatures between 350 and 375 degrees F. It can bake any recipe which requires a 350 degree baking temp, just in miniature proportions.

This gives you an idea of just how much heat is generated by a single incandescent light bulb but this doesn't mean you should stop using your conventional oven and place baking pans on your living room lamps. Just think about how you can save in both energy and cooling costs by replacing standard bulbs with CFLs.

Unrelated to energy but as a fun side note, the Easy Bake Oven was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame in 2006 and no, I never had one growing up even though I really, really wanted one for my 7th birthday.