With the proliferation of the new energy-efficient, CFL and halogen incandescent light bulbs in stores today, you may have noticed the new “Lighting Facts” label on the side or back of the boxes in which these bulbs are packaged.
Required by the the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, this Lighting Facts label was modeled after the “Nutrition Facts” label that is on food packages.
The Lighting Facts label features a lot of useful information about the light bulb you are buying. Here is a breakdown of what must be included in these “lighting facts,” according to the FTC:
Brightness – This is the light output of each lamp, measured in lumens.*
Estimated Yearly Energy Cost – This is based on a usage rate of three hours per day and 11 cents per killowatt.
Life – This is the life expectancy of the bulb, expressed in years, and is based on three hours of operation per day. Light Appearance – This is the color temperature of the light bulb, on a scale of “warm” to “cool,” as measured in Kelvins or “K.”
Energy Used – This is how much energy it takes to power the light bulb, as measured in watts.
Contains Mercury – This indicates whether or not the bulb contains mercury.
*Lumens measure how much light you are getting from a bulb. More lumens means it’s a brighter light; fewer lumens means it’s a dimmer light.
