Low energy light bulbs - helping to save the planet
Discussion
Of course I've fitted my house out with low energy bulbs, but it's been rather chilly this summer and I've had to turn the heating on early - all that carbon saving gone to waste. How am I supposed to save the planet, I just don't know what to do for the best. Never mind, perhaps it will warm up a bit soon.
One of these days the planet is going to be a dead rock floating in space. Nothing you do is going to change that.
Before that it is likely to get hotter. Or colder. No matter how much tax any of us pay to towards second houses for the wealthy politicians, not going to change one thing.
Its reassuring to realise nothing anyone does really matters.
Before that it is likely to get hotter. Or colder. No matter how much tax any of us pay to towards second houses for the wealthy politicians, not going to change one thing.
Its reassuring to realise nothing anyone does really matters.
RobDickinson said:
I especialy love the way I have to switch the low energy power saving bulbs on half an hour before I want to see whats in the room because they take that long to warm up abnd provide the advertised amount of light.
No thanks
The newer ones are a lot better to be honest, they dont flicker much anymore either. I like the wee halogen spots personally. I want some of those.No thanks
I've got a mixture of Halogen and "energy savers" all through my house. Like the halogens, not sure about the energy savers though, when new they give out a really white light but after a couple of weeks they seem to have changed to more of a yellowish tinge! Does anyone make a "daylight" version?
Also, after many years of loud music and test tones in recording studios I have tinnitus, 3 energy savers whistling at slightly different frequencies is driving me nuts!
Also, after many years of loud music and test tones in recording studios I have tinnitus, 3 energy savers whistling at slightly different frequencies is driving me nuts!
Case in point about these new bulbs:
In the garage a couple of 80watt bulbs were fine, now though I can't get any energy savers that are bright enough to work with so I have to have a massive Halogen spot lamp on as well. Brilliant energy saving there.
Although since I moved back-in the house electricity bills have tripled...
In the garage a couple of 80watt bulbs were fine, now though I can't get any energy savers that are bright enough to work with so I have to have a massive Halogen spot lamp on as well. Brilliant energy saving there.
Although since I moved back-in the house electricity bills have tripled...
I can't work with the energy saving ones, they give me really bad headaches. I don't HAVE to have a daylight bulb, as the bulbs in my ceiling light are sufficient to work with, but I need my daylight lamp for the photographs.
Did look for the bulbs for my ceiling light fitting, but I am yet to be able to find SES candle bulbs anywhere, never mind the 10 needed for the 2 lights!
Did look for the bulbs for my ceiling light fitting, but I am yet to be able to find SES candle bulbs anywhere, never mind the 10 needed for the 2 lights!
Edited by speedchick on Tuesday 1st September 07:15
Just the other side of the coin.
I fitted the house out with these over 10 years ago and have only changed one in that time. So they do last a bloody long time. Yes the older ones took a bit of time to warm up the same as any fluorescent tube. They do use considerably less power but are not suitable for every application. I saved enough electricty to charge my car for free so I'm happy enough. As electricity prices rise then just like oil prices the mpg or energy consumption of cars/appliances becomes an issue.
I expect we will shortly be moving on to LED lighting anyway. So CFL's will have only a limited commercial life span. But like any technology they came and went, were more effcient than what we had before, but not as effcient as what came after.
Forget about the saving the planet aspect it's about saving money first.
I fitted the house out with these over 10 years ago and have only changed one in that time. So they do last a bloody long time. Yes the older ones took a bit of time to warm up the same as any fluorescent tube. They do use considerably less power but are not suitable for every application. I saved enough electricty to charge my car for free so I'm happy enough. As electricity prices rise then just like oil prices the mpg or energy consumption of cars/appliances becomes an issue.
I expect we will shortly be moving on to LED lighting anyway. So CFL's will have only a limited commercial life span. But like any technology they came and went, were more effcient than what we had before, but not as effcient as what came after.
Forget about the saving the planet aspect it's about saving money first.
Edited by peterperkins on Tuesday 1st September 07:09
peterperkins said:
Just the other side of the coin.
I fitted the house out with these over 10 years ago and have only changed one in that time. So they do last a bloody long time. Yes the older ones took a bit of time to warm up the same as any fluorescent tube. They do use considerably less power but are not suitable for every application. I saved enough electricty to charge my car for free so I'm happy enough. As electricity prices rise then just like oil prices the mpg or energy consumption of cars/appliances becomes an issue.
I expect we will shortly be moving on to LED lighting anyway. So CFL's will have only a limited commercial life span. But like any technology they came and went, were more effcient than what we had before, but not as effcient as what came after.
Forget about the saving the planet aspect it's about saving money first.
This is only true if you are turning a light on and leaving it on.I fitted the house out with these over 10 years ago and have only changed one in that time. So they do last a bloody long time. Yes the older ones took a bit of time to warm up the same as any fluorescent tube. They do use considerably less power but are not suitable for every application. I saved enough electricty to charge my car for free so I'm happy enough. As electricity prices rise then just like oil prices the mpg or energy consumption of cars/appliances becomes an issue.
I expect we will shortly be moving on to LED lighting anyway. So CFL's will have only a limited commercial life span. But like any technology they came and went, were more effcient than what we had before, but not as effcient as what came after.
Forget about the saving the planet aspect it's about saving money first.
Edited by peterperkins on Tuesday 1st September 07:09
Those companies that are fitting IR sensors and timers onto energy saving lights, well it isn't saving them anything.
Unfortunately CFL's have never really got past the 'a bit crap' stage. I recently had 2 bulbs blow, one in a cloakroom , one in the garage. So I thought I'd try out the new CFL's. Not really any better than last time I tried them a couple of years back, still take a long time to warm up. Once warmed up properly they are ok.
As I am a lazy bugger and cant be bothered to change them back to normal bulbs I've left the CFLs in, they are just left on 24/7 to avoid the warm up time.
I think LEDs are going to be the way forward, they've improved massively recently.
As I am a lazy bugger and cant be bothered to change them back to normal bulbs I've left the CFLs in, they are just left on 24/7 to avoid the warm up time.
I think LEDs are going to be the way forward, they've improved massively recently.
Hi,
I have been using LED GU10 halogen replacements for the last couple of years and they are not really good enough yet as they relay don't give out any thing like the same level of light. however as that are only around 2w each as apposed to the 50W in a room with 15 it makes a huge deference to the price of the lighting. we tend to have a couple of halogen bulbs above the table and the LEDs else where.
I have been using LED GU10 halogen replacements for the last couple of years and they are not really good enough yet as they relay don't give out any thing like the same level of light. however as that are only around 2w each as apposed to the 50W in a room with 15 it makes a huge deference to the price of the lighting. we tend to have a couple of halogen bulbs above the table and the LEDs else where.
Bought some LED spotlight bulbs recently, the GU10 type. They were more expensive than the standard GU10 bulbs, but thought "what the hell"
Anyway I fitted them.... well, what a pile of Poo.you get more light coverage from a single swan vesta match.
If I want the same Illuminance or Lux figures from an LED as the standard GU10 bulb with the same angle coverage, you are talking nearly £20 / bulb.
Don't get suckered into buying them as I did
Anyway I fitted them.... well, what a pile of Poo.you get more light coverage from a single swan vesta match.
If I want the same Illuminance or Lux figures from an LED as the standard GU10 bulb with the same angle coverage, you are talking nearly £20 / bulb.
Don't get suckered into buying them as I did
ceebmoj said:
Hi,
I have been using LED GU10 halogen replacements for the last couple of years and they are not really good enough yet as they relay don't give out any thing like the same level of light. however as that are only around 2w each as apposed to the 50W in a room with 15 it makes a huge deference to the price of the lighting. we tend to have a couple of halogen bulbs above the table and the LEDs else where.
Old style LEDs are no good for main lighting, the packaging usually says something like 'ambient lighting use only'.I have been using LED GU10 halogen replacements for the last couple of years and they are not really good enough yet as they relay don't give out any thing like the same level of light. however as that are only around 2w each as apposed to the 50W in a room with 15 it makes a huge deference to the price of the lighting. we tend to have a couple of halogen bulbs above the table and the LEDs else where.
the new stye LEDs that have been around for a few months now apparently can give you the equivalent of 50W but they cost £25-£30 each. I am waiting for the price to come down a bit before converting.
bigdods said:
ceebmoj said:
Hi,
I have been using LED GU10 halogen replacements for the last couple of years and they are not really good enough yet as they relay don't give out any thing like the same level of light. however as that are only around 2w each as apposed to the 50W in a room with 15 it makes a huge deference to the price of the lighting. we tend to have a couple of halogen bulbs above the table and the LEDs else where.
Old style LEDs are no good for main lighting, the packaging usually says something like 'ambient lighting use only'.I have been using LED GU10 halogen replacements for the last couple of years and they are not really good enough yet as they relay don't give out any thing like the same level of light. however as that are only around 2w each as apposed to the 50W in a room with 15 it makes a huge deference to the price of the lighting. we tend to have a couple of halogen bulbs above the table and the LEDs else where.
the new stye LEDs that have been around for a few months now apparently can give you the equivalent of 50W but they cost £25-£30 each. I am waiting for the price to come down a bit before converting.
If any one has not tried LED lights some things you might not know the large cluster bulbs twinkle after you have switched them off for a while so might distract you if you are trying to sleep, they look a bit like stars at night. if you have the opportunity to try a couple of the shades give them a go as some of them are resnobly yellow rather than white my better half prefers the yellower ones where as I like the whiter ones
Monkey boy 1 said:
Bought some LED spotlight bulbs recently, the GU10 type. They were more expensive than the standard GU10 bulbs, but thought "what the hell"
Anyway I fitted them.... well, what a pile of Poo.you get more light coverage from a single swan vesta match.
If I want the same Illuminance or Lux figures from an LED as the standard GU10 bulb with the same angle coverage, you are talking nearly £20 / bulb.
Don't get suckered into buying them as I did
I went through the same thought process - in one of our living rooms there is a 6-fitting light, it was 300W with 6x50w GU10's in it, and (being a tight fisted git) it would annoy me to have the lights on for more than a few minutes! Replaced with some cheapo LED bulbs from eBay, and whilst it is not as bright as it used to be, it's easily enough to live with, and the total energy usage for the entire fitting is about 1.5w. Any less than 6 may be a bit hard to use, though. I have kept the 50w GU10's so that any occasion where eye-searing brightness is required they can be fitted in a matter of minutes.Anyway I fitted them.... well, what a pile of Poo.you get more light coverage from a single swan vesta match.
If I want the same Illuminance or Lux figures from an LED as the standard GU10 bulb with the same angle coverage, you are talking nearly £20 / bulb.
Don't get suckered into buying them as I did
I think the future will be halogen lighting - I bought a couple of halogen bulbs last time I was in Ikea - they were halogen lamps but in a standard bayonet cap form factor. Instant, white light, still available to purchase AFAIK and about 35% more efficient than incandescent. I have a 70w bulb that gives out as much light (if not more) than the equivalent 100w incandescent. Not sure if they last as long as the low wattage ones though.
Edited by aclivity on Tuesday 1st September 10:21
There was a chap on BBC news this morning standing up for these "amazing" bulbs. They also had an older man on, a normal viewer who expressed concerns with these rubbish bulbs.
The viewer says they are rubbish due to the flickering, not working on dimmers, taking too long to turn on and not being bright.
The bulb man said the new ones were much better and he should replace all of the old ones, for the cheap cheap price of £2.90 a bulb! Not only does the poor bloke on the crap pension OAP's get have to spend half a weeks income, but he's then going to throw away bulbs that work. Not in the bin though, he has to take them somewhere special as they all contain mercury.
Really smart that.
The viewer says they are rubbish due to the flickering, not working on dimmers, taking too long to turn on and not being bright.
The bulb man said the new ones were much better and he should replace all of the old ones, for the cheap cheap price of £2.90 a bulb! Not only does the poor bloke on the crap pension OAP's get have to spend half a weeks income, but he's then going to throw away bulbs that work. Not in the bin though, he has to take them somewhere special as they all contain mercury.
Really smart that.
Due to the lower light output of the 60W bulbs I am fitting twice the amount of lights to light my rooms so that we have decent light levels.
So for example, 2x 100W bulbs are now going to be replaced with 4x 60W bulbs.... I'm sure the europrats can see what a CO2 saving that is going to be.
So for example, 2x 100W bulbs are now going to be replaced with 4x 60W bulbs.... I'm sure the europrats can see what a CO2 saving that is going to be.
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