Ninety percent of the energy used by an incandescent bulb is wasted, while only 10 percent is converted into light according to EnergySavers.gov.
The new age light bulbs save energy by turning much more electricity into light. The engineering behind the manufacturing make it possible. The Natural Resource Defense Council says by 2020 the law will reduce energy costs by $100 to $200 per household each year. That is equivalent to shutting down 20+ power plants across the world.