At 3.7 inches long the micro-mini is the smallest CFL on the market and lasts up to 11 years. (disclosure: George Spyros and Big City Pictures, Inc. provide marketing materials for The CW Network and Gossip Girl)

Kelly Rutherford, eco-conscious star of the hit drama Gossip Girl, helped introduce the Sylvania micro-mini CFL bulb today at the annual LIGHTCongress show in New York City.

I replaced a number of the incandescent light bulbs in my house with the Sylvania micro-mini CFL and now I won’t have to think about them for another decade! It was such an easy and quick way to make my home more energy-efficient and I’m happy knowing that I’m doing my part to help the environment.

The micro-mini is designed to replace commonly-used 60, 75 or 100 watt incandescent light bulbs, is 30 percent smaller than a standard CFL, and lasts for up to 12,000 hours (or about 11 years). Low mercury design: 1.5 milligrams of mercury, compared to up to 5 milligrams for other CFLs. The bulb, like all CFLs, is for use only in non-dimming lamps and fixtures.

The Sylvania micro-mini “Twist” is packaged in 100 percent recycled paperboard and is available as a 2-pack for $9.99 at Lowe’s, Amazon.com, as well as local hardware and grocery stores in 13, 20 and 23W models.

According to Sylvania, changing just one 60W bulb to a 13W micro-mini CFL will save up to $56 on an electric bill over the life of the bulb. Change five bulbs and there is almost $280 in savings.

PICTURED: Kelly Rutherford-PHOTO by: Albert Ferreira/startraksphoto.com

PRESS RELEASE:

New York, NY (Apr. 22, 2008) – Today, lighting innovator, OSRAM SYLVANIA debuted the new SYLVANIA micro-mini Twist compact fluorescent light bulb at the annual LIGHTCongress show in New York City. Eco-conscious actress and star of the hit TV show “Gossip Girl,” Kelly Rutherford was on hand to unveil the 3.7 inch SYLVANIA micro-mini Twist, which is the smallest CFL on the market and will help consumers make easy environmental improvements to their personal space, fitting in non-dimming table and floor lamps, wall sconces, recess ceiling fixtures and even decorative fixtures.

Keeping Homes – and Wallets – Green
The SYLVANIA micro-mini is designed to replace the commonly-used 60, 75 or 100 watt (W) incandescent light bulbs and provides the same appealing light. It is 30 percent smaller than a standard CFL and lasts for up to 12,000 hours (or about 11 years). The low mercury SYLVANIA micro-mini contains just 1.5 milligrams of mercury, compared to up to 5 milligrams for other CFLs. Furthermore, changing just one 60W bulb to a 13W micro-mini CFL will save up to $56 on an electric bill over the life of the bulb. Change five bulbs and there is almost $280 in savings.

Kelly Rutherford says, “I replaced a number of the incandescent light bulbs in my house with the SYLVANIA micro-mini CFL and now I won’t have to think about them for another decade! It was such an easy and quick way to make my home more energy-efficient and I’m happy knowing that I’m doing my part to help the environment.”

SYLVANIA’s Let There Be Light Survey
SYLVANIA also announced today results from the brand’s recent Let There Be Light Survey, a national online survey conducted among Americans ages 25 and older, which found that while most Americans are enthusiastic about being “green,” many have yet to implement energy-efficient lighting into their homes. In fact, nearly three-fourths (74 percent) of incandescent bulb users claim conserving water or recycling at home are easier ways to help the environment every day as opposed to switching out their current bulbs for CFLs. This may have something to do with how consumers regard the task of changing a light bulb. In exchange for not having to change a light bulb in their home for over decade, many would give up their favorite activities for one month; 53 percent would give up shopping, 34 percent eating out, 17 percent would skip sex and 10 percent TV.

Incandescent Inertia
When asked to choose which, in their opinion, would last longer, a CFL or the average Hollywood marriage, an overwhelming 94 percent of those surveyed chose a CFL. Despite acknowledging a CFL’s longevity, more than half (57 percent) still do not use the energy- efficient bulb. So why aren’t consumers flipping the switch on incandescent light bulbs? Nearly a quarter (22 percent) of all Americans surveyed admit they don’t know enough about CFLs and how they work, 17 percent aren’t sure if the bulbs are compatible with their current lamps and fixtures and 12 percent think that CFLs are too big and will stick out of their lamps and fixtures.

Jon DiGesu, director of brand strategy for SYLVANIA says, “The SYLVANIA micro-mini CFL is designed with consumers in mind. Its small size, longevity and ability to fit into most fixtures and provide warm light make it easy for consumers to update their homes with environmental improvements and be proactive in saving energy in everyday life.”

How can something as simple as changing a light bulb really help? “If every house in the United States changed just one incandescent bulb to an ENERGY STAR qualified CFL, such as the SYLVANIA micro-mini, the reduction in CO2 emissions from power plants would be equivalent to the emissions of one million cars in a year,” adds DiGesu.

Light at the End of the Tunnel
The West Coast is currently leading the charge for energy-efficient light with respondents from this region as the most willing to switch from incandescent bulbs to CFLs. Nearly three-quarters (74 percent) of respondents from the Pacific area say they have either already made the switch or are planning to in the near future. In fact, California has already put these good intentions into action with the California Lighting Efficiency and Toxics Reduction legislation, which tasks the California Energy Commission to reduce lighting energy usage in homes by no less than 50 percent by 2018, as well as requires a 25 percent reduction in lighting energy for commercial interiors by that same date. These efforts are also gaining traction nationwide with the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 – a bill that was signed into law by President Bush on December 19, 2007. This Act will phase out the sale of inefficient light bulbs nationwide by 2014 and requires 25-30 percent greater efficiency for traditional incandescent light bulbs beginning in 2012. Money-saving and energy-saving LED bulbs, halogen bulbs, and CFLs, such as the SYLVANIA micro-mini are expected to replace inefficient incandescent bulbs.

About the SYLVANIA micro-mini Twist:
The SYLVANIA micro-mini Twist is packaged in 100 percent recycled paperboard and is available as a 2-pack for $9.99 at Lowe’s, Amazon.com, as well as local hardware and grocery stores in 13, 20 and 23W models. For more information about the SYLVANIA micro-mini Twist CFL and OSRAM SYLVANIA’s portfolio of eco-conscious products, please visit www.sylvania.com.