Hydro-Québec - Residential Customers

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	Overview

	Advantages

	How do I choose?

	Disposing of CFLs


	Christmas lights


	CFL torchieres


	Energy-saving tips

	Our ENERGY WISE partners
Mail-in rebate

Lighting – Fixtures
CFL Torchieres

Torchieres are floor lamps that direct light upward. CFL models are designed to be used exclusively with pin-based compact fluorescent lightbulbs.

Tip

Did you know that a halogen torchiere lamp uses almost as much electricity in a year as a window air conditioner?

An 8,000-Btu air conditioner that runs 11.4 hours a day for 40 days uses 410 kWh of electricity a year. A 300-W halogen torchiere that is lit for an average of 3 hours a day year-round uses 328.5 kWh.
Find out more

Why choose a CFL torchiere?

More efficient

CFL torchieres use about one fourth the power to produce the same amount of light.

	Halogen torchiere	Incandescent torchiere	CFL torchiere
Wattage	250 watts	150 watts	55 watts
Efficacy	18 lumens/watt	13 lumens/watt	63 lumens/watt
Bulb lifespan	2,000 hours	1,000 hours	10,000 hours

Safer

CFL torchieres generate much less heat, making them a safer choice.

More economical

CFLs last up to ten times longer than incandescent bulbs and five times longer than halogen bulbs. CFLs have a service life of up to 10,000 hours. Buying CFLs instead of halogen bulbs can save you approximately $75 (including cross-effects): $45 in energy costs and $30 in replacement bulbs.

Because CFLs emit less heat than incandescent bulbs, your heating system has to make up the difference during the heating season. Even so, you'll save $16 over the lifespan of each CFL bulb used indoors (estimate for an electrically heated single-family dwelling).

You can obtain a $15 mail-in rebate on the purchase of an eligible CFL torchiere.

Practical tips
	Place torchieres or table lamps in corners rather than along walls. Their light will be reflected by two walls rather than one, so the room will be brighter. Look for torchieres with dimmers, whether continuous or three-stage. That way, you'll enjoy the diffuse light of the compact fluorescent and create the kind of atmosphere you want.