Led and cfl lights have a lower wattage for the same lumens

Many people are confused about the differences between new light bulbs (Halogen, LEDs and CFLs) and traditional incandescent lamps - namely their wattage and lighting output.

Choosing the replacement bulb by their wattage may not make much sense anymore. 

A 8 watts compact fluorescent light provides more lighting than, say, a 30 watts incandescent light. That is: New energy-efficient bulbs use a fraction of the watts of the incandescents to provide the same lighting.

Highlights
»»» New light bulbs consume a fraction of the energy.
»»» Their wattage is a small fraction of that of old bulbs.
»»» To select a new light bulb you should consider its brightness, which is measured in lumens, not in watts.
»»» You need a 450 lumens light lamp if you're replacing a 40-watt incandescent; or a 800 lumens to replace an old 60-watt bulb. See Box below.

Watts and Lumens

The first thing to keep in mind - when replacing an old incandescent bubble and selecting new light bulbs - is that the wattage of a bulb measures the energy consumption, not the brightness; the brightness of a bulb is measured in lumens, not in watts.

In other words: to know the output of a light bulb you should consider its lumens. And that's what what you should look for in the package label.

The wattage that comes in the label may not help you much (see the Lighting Facts Label for the US at right).

Comparing Incandescent, Halogen and Compact Fluorescent and LED bulbs

The table at right may help you, when replacing old incandescent bulbs.

As you can see in the table, you should look for a 450 lumens light lamp if you're replacing a 40-watt incandescent bulb; or you should look for a 800 lumens light lamp to replace a 60-watt incandescent bulb; and so on...

See, for more information on low-energy light bulbs:
Low-energy Light Bulbs
Compact Fluorescent vs. LEDs vs. Halogen Lights
New Light Bulbs: Watts vs. Lumens

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