. . . and they didn’t last the 5 years as the packages said. So why should I spend extra maoney to add mecury in my home and not save any energy?
Following on from Energy Saving Week, which took place from 19 – 25 October, we thought that it was about time someone tackled those myths about lighting – so here are our top 10 questions about energy saving light bulbs and those dirty incandescent ones.
1. Aren’t energy saving bulbs much dimmer than traditional ones?
Whilst Energy Saving light bulbs once had a reputation for being dim this is now outdated. Most modern varieties – produced by household brands – are just as bright as traditional bulbs and give an equally ‘warm’ light.
2. Aren’t energy saving light bulbs full of mercury and other toxins?
A standard energy saving light bulb contains 3 to 4 milligrams of mercury- whilst a standard thermometer contains at least 100 times more mercury! Indeed, the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs states that the amount of mercury in lamps is less than the mercury that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere by coal-fire power generation to produce the energy used by an incandescent lamp.
3. Why has my local supermarket stopped selling traditional light bulbs?
From 1st September 2009, retailers in the UK were no longer allowed to buy traditional 100MW tungsten bulbs from their suppliers- they can however, still sell them until their supplies run out. Other wattage of bulbs will be phased out in a similar manner by 2012. Whilst many retailers chose to stockpile their traditional light bulbs, it is possible that some of the smaller retailers near you will run out of stocks quicker as they’ll have more limited storage in their shop.
4. How much would I save by using energy saving light bulbs? Aren’t they more expensive to begin with?
Again, they used to be, but nowadays you’ll find them competitively priced with the traditional bulbs. In fact, the Energy Saving Trust estimates that not only will they last longer, but you save around £2.50 a year per bulb in energy bills – so you’ll save around a total of £65 in energy and replacement costs over the lifetime of each bulb.
5. Is this banning the sale of traditional bulbs (yet another) thing that the EU is forcing on us?
Whilst there is an EU-wide directive covering the sale of traditional bulbs, the UK also has its own voluntary agreement with major retailers which actually goes further – stopping the sale of traditional bulbs a year earlier than the rest of the EU. The UK has also, uniquely in Europe, committed itself to cuts in carbon emissions outside any international treaty. Restricting the sales of traditional bulbs is regarded as being the “low hanging fruit” of the fight against climate change as it’s an easy, cost-positive way of cutting carbon quickly.
6. Don’t energy saving light bulbs need time to warm up?
Again, this is something that energy savings bulbs have got a bad reputation for but now, it’s undeserved. A modern energy saving bulb will only take one or two seconds to reach full brilliance, which is barely noticeable in your day-to-day life.
7. Can you recycle energy saving bulbs?
Yes you can! Under the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) regulations, anywhere that sells energy saving light bulbs has to provide information on where they can be recycled. Many of the larger retailers will even take them away for you.
8. Aren’t energy saving light bulbs a danger to your health? I’ve heard they can cause migraines?
Some people have concerns that energy saving bulbs pose a risk to human health. Some of the most common concerns are:
Migraines: Many migraine support groups have raised this issue as a concern, the Department of Health is funding research into the matter.
Epilepsy: Many people fear than energy saving bulbs can cause epilepsy. However, Epilepsy Action says: “Epilepsy Action is not aware of any evidence that low energy light bulbs can directly trigger epileptic seizures in people with photosensitive epilepsy”
Skin concerns: The Health Protection Agency state that open (single envelope) CFLs should not be used where people are closer than 30 cm to 1 ft to the bare light bulb for over 1 hour a day. At these distances CFLs might emit Ultra Violet (UV) light at a level less than equivalent to being outside on a sunny summer’s day. As of September 2009 as a result of EU legislation, all energy saving light bulbs emit a safe amount of UV light so pose no cancer risk.
9. I have lots of dimmer switches in my home – can I use energy saving light bulbs? What about Bayonet and Cap fittings –I’m not sure I like those weird-looking ones?
Traditionally, energy saving light bulbs have not been available for dimmer switch lights and were exclusively available in the “weird” design. However, as a result of recent innovations, energy saving dimmer switch lights are starting to become more widely available. Why not search for them online?
Likewise, energy saving bulbs are now available in both Cap and bayonet fittings in a range of designs –including “lookalikes” which are exactly like traditional designs. The Energy Saving trust has a comprehensive guide to the different energy saving light bulbs on their website.
10. Is it more energy-efficient to keep energy saving lights on all the time, or should I turn them on and off as needed?
Turning a light on uses about the same amount of energy as keeping one on for two minutes –so it’ll be more efficient to turn them off as you leave the room if you know you’re not coming back for a short while.
So that’s it! The phasing out of incandescent light bulbs is a really positive step for you and the environment. With the economy going through such a tough time, who wants to spend their hard-earned cash on something as boring as keeping the lights on! Now you know all the facts, get some energy saving light bulbs for your home and treat yourself with the money you’ve saved.
I have a pendant light on the landing. When fitted with a low energy light bulb it flashes once every 10 seconds when the lightswitch is off and therefore should have no current passing through it. If I change it for a standard filament bulb this does not happen. I have not encountered this problem in any other light fitting in the house. Any ideas?
LED lighting (stands for Light Emitting Diode) is the wave of the future when it comes to low energy, long-life lighting solutions. The ever-expanding array of LED bulbs and strip lights that are available on the market is making this a very practical solution, whether you want to replace existing bulbs or if you putting together a lighting plan for new construction.
LED lighting is suitable for residential and commercial applications, indoor or outdoor. They are one of the best solutions for decorative and accent lighting, too. Some of the benefits of choosing LED include: extremely low energy consumption, extremely long life, lighting without any heat production, no mercury used, no filaments (they can work well in applications where vibration is an issue), and the wide range of colors available. You may be a little taken aback by the cost of LED lights, but remember that they use a fraction of the energy that it takes to run even a compact fluorescent bulb AND they have a lifespan that can run to decades.
If you’d like to know more about how LED can enhance any lighting plan, visit Coolstrip LED Lighting.
Magnify Savings Using Energy Saver Light Bulbs.
CFL lights are the low energy light bulbs that can save you money by using less energy. In addition to saving you money they also have a longer lifespan than the traditional incandescent lamps you are used to buying. These bulbs are now quick to light up and generate almost instant output because they have electronic ballasts instead of the electromagnetic ballasts.
CFL lights radiate a different light spectrum than the traditional light bulbs do.They are similar in colour but the light emitted is a little different. The latest energy saver lights resemble in both appearance and output to standard GLS, candles, reflectors and even the GU10 spotlight.
The great thing about the CFL lights is that they last much longer than a standard light bulb. (Average life length of a low energy lamp is 8000hours). Due to the increased life length you won’t have to replace lamps as often thus reducing maintenance costs. This makes it convenient if you have a location that is hard to get to. Screwing off a bulb cover outside or on a ten foot ceiling can be a real pain. Using energy saver lamps makes it much more convenient not to have to worry about it as often. Now for the real saving to your running costs.
Buildings can dramatically reduce their electricity consumption by using low energy light bulbs. This is because most buildings require a central heating and cooling system for heat and a lighting system for the light. The CFL low energy light bulbs can help a business reduce on the cooling costs because they do not generate the amount of heat like the traditional bulbs do. This reduces the load a cooling system takes when it is trying to cool an entire building. These benefits allow people to save on their cooling costs and reduce their electricity bills. If you are looking for a way to conserve and lower your electricity bill then you should consider replacing your incandescent light bulbs with the low energy light bulbs. By switching (pardon the pun) to energy saver CFL lights buildings will use much less energy for your lighting needs and they won’t put a strain on your air conditioner and magnify your running cost savings.
I feel really tired reading under them and end up with a headache, like I used to when at school under fluorescent lighting.
Low Energy lighting is becoming ever more popular. Current UK Building Regulations demand that approximately 30% of lighting in new developments is now dedicated low energy, and in existing housing stock the use of high wattage standard incandescent lamps is being phased out. But, amidst mounting pressure from the government to move from standard light bulbs to energy saving alternatives, very few householders seem to understand how low energy lighting differs from conventional lighting systems? The key to understanding the difference lies in knowing how conventional light bulbs work.
The correct term for the type of conventional light bulb that we all recognise is a tungsten, or incandescent bulb. They use a tiny filament made of tungsten, which when heated gives off a bright light. However, the problem with these bulbs is that they are not energy efficient, as a lot of energy is required to heat the filament to the level required to give off the light. Tungsten bulbs come in a variety of different shapes and sizes, with a number of different caps. The standard life of a tungsten lamp is around one thousand hours. The most common wattage is 60 Watts.
Another existing style of bulb is the halogen. Halogen lamps have very small filaments filled with halogen gas. They run at extremely high temperatures. They are most suited to small, bright or decorative fittings. Halogen lamps are generally slightly more efficient than tungsten bulbs, and the standard life of a halogen bulb is around twice as long at an average of two thousand hours. Halogen bulbs can be spit into two types – those that run off of 240v mains voltage, and low (12v) voltage. The term low voltage should not be confused with low energy. Low voltage lamps require a transformer to reduce the voltage. Halogen lamps do get very hot and they should never be handled until they have cooled fully.
Low energy lamps are also known as fluorescent lamps. The fluorescent lamp is actually a low-pressure gas discharge which is held in a cylindrical shaped tube. This tube is covered with a phosphor coating. As the gas discharges, it produces ultra-violet radiation that is converted into visible light by the phosphor coating. Early fluorescent lamps suffered from a flickering effect and indeed a buzzing noise that was produced, but advances in technology have all but eliminated these problems by using high-frequency electronic ballasts. Low energy lamps can last up to 8000 hours, and offer major savings in energy consumption.
Broadly speaking, one Watt of a low energy lamp is equivalent to 5 Watts in a standard tungsten incandescent. Therefore a low energy lamp rated at 15W is equivalent to a 75W traditional bulb. Early low energy fittings had a reputation for taking some time to reach their full brightness from switching on, but this lag has now been reduced to a couple of seconds. One drawback with low energy fittings that remains however is that very few lamps work with dimmer switches.
Another factor that should be considered is that any broken low energy lamps should be double wrapped in plastic bags and carefully disposed of, as they do contain very small amounts of mercury (which is not at all dangerous when contained within the bulb). The bulbs should be disposed of responsibly and can either be collected in a normal household waste bin or can be recycled at the local council’s Household Waste and Recycling Centre or at collection points provided by some light bulb retailers.
Which kind of electric light bulb gives out most heat for the equivalent amount of light – one of the old (UK) bulbs or the newer low-energy bulb? I believe the low-energy type are just miniature fluorescent lamps, so in theory they should be cooler.
But I want to check on this before using these in a lampshade.
Many of the articles we have all read in the press are based on older technologies and don’t reflect the current market for low energy light bulbs. Earlier this year the phase out of general purpose household bulbs began. The first to go was the good old General purpose household bulb, 100w/150w bulbs that have lit more rooms throughout the years than any bulb on the market. There was mass hysteria, people bulk buying 100w lamps to ensure there home lighting wasn’t affected in anyway. Little old ladies buying 20 bulbs to last their lifetime, sad but true. The general public were not happy, “It doesn’t give the same light”, “It flickers”, “I have to wait 10 minutes for it to come on”.
Because of the phase out proposals a selection of new lamps became available they generally consist of the following:
Compact Fluorescent
These energy efficient lamps are an excellent choice for table lamps and ceiling pendants where the lamp is not visible. The lamps quickly get to their maximum output. Many are designed to closely mirror the size of a standard general purpose lamp.
When using compact fluorescent lamps in place of conventional lamps in your home lighting the following table is a guide to the equivalent wattages:
Ordinary Bulbs
Energy Saving Equivalent
25w
6w
40w
8-11w
60w
13-18w
100w
20-25w
Retro Fit Low Energy
This type of lamp is available to suit most home lighting common lamp holders (BC, ES, SES, and GU10). It is still a fluorescent lamp but the control gear is housed inside of the lamp. They tend to be more aesthetically pleasing to the eye and are available in the more common shapes, candle, golf ball and gls and varying wattages. A guide for equivalent wattages is below:
Ordinary Bulbs
Retro Fit Lamp
25w
5-7w
40w
8-10w
60w
11-14w
75w
15-17w
100w
18-22w
150w
23-27w
Energy Savers
These lamps are halogen versions of the popular home lighting lamps. Primarily the ones affected by the phase out. The lamps are clear, and contain a halogen lamp instead of the normal tungsten filament. They give the same light output as the lamps they are replacing but use less power. It generally represents a saving of approximately 30%, although not as efficient as the compact fluorescent lamps or retro fit lamps it is still a substantial saving and of course it has other benefits. These lamps will look fantastic in a crystal chandelier as the halogen aspect will make the crystal sparkle. Versions of these lamps are already available and are sufficiently efficiency rated to survive the phase out until at least 2012.
