A fluorescent light bulb is a type of bulb that uses electricity to excite mercury vapor in argon or neon gas, producing short-wave ultraviolet light. This light then causes a phosphor to fluoresce, producing visible light.

According to the Department of Energy, our nation spends about one-quarter of our electricity budget on lighting, or more than $37 billion annually.

Fluorescent lighting has several advantages over incandescent light bulbs. They last between 8-10 times longer, while using only 25% of the energy used by an incandescent bulb. They also generate significantly less heat while providing more light per watt. For example, a 25-Watt fluorescent light bulb provides about 1800 lumens,
compared to 1750 lumens from a 100-Watt incandescent lamp.

Fluorescent light bulbs also save money. True, they are typically more pricey than the incandescent bulbs, but they are much less expensive to operate. Replace one 100-Watt incandescent bulb with a 25-Watt fluorescent light bulb
and save a whopping $74 dollars on the life of the bulb and the energy it consumes.

Fluorescent light bulbs are regarded as being the environmentally friendly choice and are found to reduce carbon monoxide emission to the atmosphere by
1,000 pounds.