If you would like to learn more about energy saving light bulbs, including where you can buy the best energy saving bulbs at affordable prices online, you're in the right place.  Immediately below we list our top two recommendations for finding affordably priced energy saving light bulbs online - eLight Bulbs and AM Conservation Group - two websites that we've found to be the absolute best online destinations to purchase a wide selection of affordable energy saving light bulbs. Further below you will find information on the inner workings of CFL's and why energy saving light bulbs are one of the wisest purchases you can ever make. And don't forget to check out the Google energy saving ad feed immediately to the right.

AM Conservation Group has been the "home for the best conservation buys" since 1989. An ENERGY STAR partner, AM Conservation Group specializes in selling energy saving light bulbs and lighting fixtures. In fact, they've been selling energy saving CFL's since 1990. Their selection of bulbs include spirals, globes, floods, Par Fluorescents, Torpedos, A Types, Capsules, Circlines, and even dimmables and three-way CFL's. Their most popular, best selling bulb - called the Energy Saving Bulb fittingly enough - is the most competitively priced, best-performing energy saving light bulb you will find anywhere - in your local store or online. This Energy Star listed bulb has a lifespan of 10,000 hours and will save anywhere from $33.48 to 83.16 over its lifetime. Furthermore, one single Energy Saving Bulb will take out a half ton of Carbon Dioxide from the atmosphere. This is no dim light bulb either, which if often the case with compact fluorescent lightbulbs. All of AM Conservation Group's light bulbs offer the highest lumen per watt (their 14 Watt bulb is equivalent to 60 Watts), and may even be used for commercial applications. Visit AM Conservation Group

Why the need for energy efficient light bulbs, and how do they work anyways?

Admittedly, the term "energy saving light bulb" is a little vague. Let's face it - there are all sorts of light bulbs. Yet, in terms of energy saving lightbulbs, and Energy Star rated light bulbs at that, there really is only just a handful of light bulbs and lighting devices that can rightfully be called "energy saving". While there will undoubtedly be many more to choose from in the not-too-distant future, in terms of the "consumer overload" factor, it's a relief to know there is essentially just one kind of energy saving light bulb best suited for inside the home. And this light bulb is none other than the Compact Fluorescent Light, aka, the CFL. While halogen lights do a better job at saving energy than your traditional incandescent light bulbs, it is the CFL that costs less and saves the most.

So, what is it that makes CFL light bulbs energy efficient in the first place? Functionally speaking a standard incandescent light bulb uses a filament that conducts an electric current and glows to emit light. With energy saving lightbulbs, an electric current passes through a small glass tube containing the natural element, Argon, and small amounts of Mercury gas vapor that are responsible for creating invisible ultraviolet light, which in turn, acts as a catalyst for a fluorescent coating on the inside of the bulb. This coating is primarily made of the element Phosphorous, and is responsible for emitting the visible light from CFL's.

Simply put, the process for emitting light in CFL's uses far less electricity than incandescent light bulbs - 75% less to be exact. While energy saving lightbulbs need more energy to get jump started - hence the slight delay it takes for them to warm up - the actual transmission of electricity is far more efficient at keeping the bulb brightly lit. Precisely, it is the use of a ballast that helps regulate the flow of electricity. Older models of energy saving light bulbs used a magnetic ballast for this purpose, which incidentally, produced a slightly annoying buzzing sound. The energy saving light bulbs of today, however, use an electronic ballast, which produce no buzzing noise at all.

You might be wondering about the safety of CFL's, considering they contain the toxic element Mercury. This is a justified concern, for there are indeed precautions which you should take when disposing of a CFL. The good news is that energy saving lightbulbs actually do not emit any Mercury at all, and ultimately cause a direct impact on the Mercury emitted by power plants. Furthermore, the actual amount of Mercury is one-fifth the amount found in a watch battery and 1/100th the amount found in a amalgam dental filling. Compared to a power plant, the amount of Mercury needed to run a CFL is four times less. And with top-of-the-line energy saving light bulbs, like Phillips Alto Lamp, the amount of Mercury is even less than traditional CFL's.

Besides all of this energy efficiency, CFL's can still be recycled. Just check with your local recycling facility first when it's time to throw out a spent CFL. An even more convenient option is to drop them off at Home Depot or IKEA store. Considering that energy saving light bulbs last ten times longer than incandescent bulbs, you won't have to be doing that much recycling anyways. If a bulb happens to break, be sure to follow the package instructions for disposal. At a minimum, this should entail allowing the room to air out for fifteen minutes and using sticky tape to clean up any powder residue. All materials should be collected in either a glass jar or clear, plastic bag sealed with tape.