An important message from the Federal Trade Commission

What to look for 

 when you shop for light bulbs

Estimates based on typical incandescent bulbs

40 w

60 w

75 w

100 w

150 w

Watts (energy)

450 lm

800 lm

1100 lm

1600 lm

2600 lm

Lumens 

(brightness)

You used to 

 look for 

Now you

look for 

Light bulbs are getting better. Newer 

bulbs — like halogen incandescents, CFLs 

and LEDs — last longer and use less energy 

than traditional incandescent bulbs, saving 

you money on your energy bills. In fact, 

beginning in 2012, everyday light bulbs 

have to meet new Department of Energy 

standards for how much energy they use. 

Bulbs that don’t will be phased out over the 

next couple of years.

Along with this move to more efficient 

bulbs comes a new way to shop for them. 

What Are Lumens?

For years, people have chosen light bulbs 

by the watt, learning over time about how 

bright a typical 40-watt or 60-watt bulb 

is. But wattage tells you only how much 

energy a bulb uses — not how bright it is. 

With newer light bulbs designed to use 

less energy, wattage is no longer a reliable 

way to gauge a light bulb’s brightness. That 

takes lumens. 

Lumens measure brightness. A standard 

60-watt incandescent bulb, for example, 

produces about 800 lumens of light. By 

comparison, a CFL bulb produces that 

same 800 lumens using less than 15 watts. 

How Bright a Light?

This chart shows the number of lumens 

produced by common incandescent bulbs. If 

you’re looking to buy a bulb that will give you 

the amount of light you used to get from a 

60-watt bulb, you’ll now look for 800 lumens.

You can use lumens to compare the brightness 

of any bulb, regardless of the technology 

behind it, and regardless of whether it’s a 

lumens = brightness

watts = energy
halogen incandescent, CFL or LED. Using 

lumens helps you compare “apples to apples” 

when you shop for light bulbs. Once you know 

how bright a bulb you want, you can compare 

other factors, like the yearly energy cost. 

A Label to Help You Shop

When you shop for light bulbs, you’ll also 

want to think about light appearance, or color 

temperature. Light appearance ranges from 

warm to cool. Warmer light looks more yellow, 

like the light from a traditional incandescent 

bulb, cooler light appears more blue. 

To find out the light appearance of a light bulb, 

look at the Lighting Facts label on the package. 

The Lighting Facts label gives you information 

you need to compare different bulbs. It tells 

you:

 Brightness (in lumens)

 Yearly estimated energy cost

 Expected bulb life (in years)

 Light appearance (how warm or cool the 

light will look)

 Wattage (the energy used)

 If the bulb contains mercury

The label may include the 

Energy Star logo if the bulb 

meets the energy efficiency 

and performance standards 

of the Environmental 

Protection Agency and the 

Department of Energy’s Energy Star program. 

For more on Energy Star standards, visit 

energystar.gov. 

Lighting Facts labels will be on most everyday 

household light bulbs starting in 2012.

On the Bulb

The number of lumens will be printed on 

the bulb. If the bulb is a CFL, it may be on 

the bulb’s base. CFLs also will include a web 

address, epa.gov/cfl, for information on safe 

recycling and disposal. CFLs contain mercury, 

so cleanup and disposal require some care and 

attention.

For More Information

Learn more about shopping for light bulbs at 

energysavers.gov/lighting.

To get free information on consumer issues, 

visit ftc.gov or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP 

(1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. 

ftc.gov

Federal Trade Commission

Brightness

Estimated Yearly Energy Cost

Based on 3 hrs/day, 11¢/kWh 

Cost depends on rates and use

Life

Based on 3 hrs/day

Light Appearance

Warm Cool

2700 K

Energy Used

820 lumens

$7.23

1.4 years

60 watts

Lighting Facts Per Bulb