Queensland’s population is currently 4,036,000 and it occupies 1,440,000 dwellings. If every household in Queensland replaced just one incandescent lamp with a compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) providing the same light output and was used for six hours per day, the following savings would be achieved:

Replacing 60 watt incandescent lamp with 11watt CFL.

• Energy: 154,526MWh/year - equivalent to the energy consumption of around 17,000           houses for a year
• GHG emissions: 154,526 tonnes/year
• Householders: $21,451,300 in energy bills ($14.90 per household - based on tariff 11)

Replacing 75watt incandescent lamp with 15watt CFL.

• Energy: 189,216MWh/year - equivalent to the energy consumption of around 21,000 houses for a year
• GHG emissions: 189,216 tonnes/year
• Householders: $26,266,965 in energy bills ($18.24 per household - based on tariff 11) 

Replacing 100watt incandescent lamp with 20watt CFL

• Energy: 252,288MWh/year – equivalent to the energy consumption of around 28,000 houses for a year
• GHG emissions: 252,288 tonnes/year
• Householders: $35,022,620 in energy bills ($24.32 per household – based on tariff 11)

Fuel consumption – GHG emissions

According to the AGO, average fuel (petrol) consumption for family cars is 10km/litre and average distance travelled is 15,000km/year, therefore average fuel consumption per vehicle is 1500 litres/year.  Emissions from petrol are 2.45 kg CO2/litre.  Therefore emissions from a vehicle travelling 15,000km/year would be 3.675 tonnes/year.  If the reduction in GHG emissions using CFL's were 200,000 tonnes/year, that would be equivalent to the emissions from more than 54,000 vehicles per year.

Interesting fact

Replacing a refrigerator that is around 20 years old, or not in good working order, with a 4 star or more, energy rated model could save as much as 700kWh/year ($97.19) and 700 kg of GHG emissions.  If, for example, half of Queensland’s households did that, the savings would be 504,000MWh/year, 504,000 tonnes of GHG emissions and around $70 million savings in energy bills between those households.