Imperial Distributors

Commentary From Our President

CFL’s Will Create a 3-Way Win Replacing Conventional Light Bulbs

Michael D. Sleeper, President/CEO, Imperial Distributors, Inc.

The “Greening of America” is evident everywhere, but no where more than in supermarkets.

Considering that “greening” also incorporates aspects of “natural” and “wellness,” you can see the effects in virtually every category. Among them all, nonfood boasts a new product line that not only leads the way, but will eventually be found in every home in America.

Light bulbs, or more specifically, the compact fluorescent lamp (CFL), better known as the compact fluorescent light bulb, is taking hold and replacing the standard incandescent light bulb. The spiral tube inside the CFL is not particularly attractive to look at, but the bulb has a mission to fulfill: by using far less electricity, it can stem the tide against environment-threatening emissions and hopefully help control the demand for oil production.

On another level, CFL’s last much longer than old-style incandescent and uses far less electricity. The CFL’s will save consumers money in the long run. The big disadvantage is that CFL’s are expensive to produce and cost a lot more to buy.

Here in the northeast, the average retail for a CFL (comparable to a 100-watt bulb) runs at about $5.99 while you can buy a four pack of 100-watt incandescent bulbs for under $2.99. It can be a difficult purchase for many shoppers, especially those of modest means, even though the CFL will last up to 10 times longer and uses 75% less electricity. Energy-aware consumers will find they are dollars ahead in savings on their electric bill.

There are a few other disadvantages too, such as a too-pale light, flickering and slow-starting, but these obstacles are being met by technological improvements, while one supplier is producing a CFL that looks like an incandescent.

At retail, supermarkets are following Wal-Mart’s lead, who has moved to the forefront in CFL in a big way. Wal-Mart has lifted the compacts up from bottom shelves and reduced retails, spreading the word in public relations and advertising. Home Depot gave CFL’s a big push on this year's Earth Day by giving away 1 million bulbs. And special offers by supermarkets include H-E-B, a 300-store chain, based in San Antonio, TX, giving away 3,000 CFL's, starting a weekend sales in five stores.

Much of the public-relations behind CFL’s have come from the U.S. Dept of Energy, which runs the Energy Star brand program. Besides evaluating CFL energy efficiency seeking to win certification, Energy Star is working hard to move its brand to consumers by leveraging support from manufacturers and retailer partners.

Energy Star Public Relations are resonating with consumers. “If every American home replaced just one light bulb, enough energy would be saved to light more than 3 million homes for a year, more than $600 million in annual energy costs and prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions from more than 800,000 cars”…And, “the risks of global warming will be reduced while saving money and time in buying and changing light in your home”…And, “When you use less energy in your home, you reduce greenhouse gas emissions from power plants and help protect the environment from the risk of global climate change” …And, “CFAs produce 75% less heat”—imagine how that would reduce the working burden and costs of central air!

So as energy demands increase with higher gas prices, global warming and political volatility; featuring CFL’s for shoppers, our stores and the environment make good sense. It’s a 3-way win which will replace conventional light bulbs.

For comments or questions, contact us by phone at 508-756-5156, or e-mail: msleeper@imperialdistributors.com

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