Lumens measure how much light or brightness you are getting from a bulb. With CFLs, the lumens will be the same with a 60 watt equivalent even though the Kelvin (K) temperature may be different. A 2700K CFL, a warm or soft light, has the same lumens as a 6500K CFL, or a day light bulb.
The lumen levels of the lighting in your home may vary widely. To help consumers understand comparisons of watts to lumens, a new product label for light bulbs will clearly provide this information. The label will estimate the operating cost for the year and the color of the light from warm/yellowish, to white to cool/blue.
Here are some helpful tips when replacing and purchasing bulbs:
- Replace a 100-watt bulb with a CFL of about 1600 lumens
- Replace a 75W bulb with a CFL of about 1100 lumens
- Replace a 60W bulb with a CFL of about 800 lumens
- Replace a 40W bulb with a CFL of 450 lumen
Learn More from the U.S. Department of Energy Website
