In response to the Philippine government’s call to ban incandescent light bulbs by 2010 and replace them with the more energy-efficient fluorescent lamps, Davao Light and Power Company will be distributing 200,000 Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) to selected households.
The company has already identified 100,000 poor households to receive 2 CFLs each. Those consuming more than 100 kWh per month are expected to buy their own CFLs. The CFLs may cost a bit more than incandescent bulbs, but they use less energy and last longer. That means more savings in the long run.
The country’s “Switch to CFL” campaign stands to be the first of its kind in Asia and is expected to save P5 billion in fuel costs per year.
We thank Thomas Edison for coming up with the first commercially practical incandescent light bulb more than 100 years ago. However, as we join the global fight against climate change, the incandescent light bulb needs to go. It is estimated that 90% of the power consumed by this light bulb is emitted as heat and not as visible light.
To help identify if you’re using incandescent or fluorescent in your homes, see how they usually look like below. The first one is an incandescent light bulb, the second is a tubular-type compact fluorescent lamp and the third is a spiral-compact fluorescent lamp.
Good initiative! 🙂