Low Energy Light Bulbs, Why You Should Use Them

Low energy light bulbs are one of the success stories of modern times. The popular compact fluorescent lamps, as they are known, have come along way since their early incarnations. These were bulky and not as aesthetically pleasing as their modern, compact counterparts. Saving money whilst doing your bit for the environment has become so popular these days that everybody seems to be jumping on the bandwagon. By using these low energy alternatives to standard incandescent light bulbs, you will not only save money but you are being kind to the environment too. By covering their history, energy facts and comparing low energy light bulbs to their energy hungry incandescent neighbours, we outline some of the important reasons why this is so.

Compact fluorescent lamps first hit the shops back in the early 1980s. But, because they were bulky and relatively expensive to buy compared with the established incandescent bulbs, they proved initially unpopular with the majority of consumers. This was despite their obvious long-term money saving characteristics. As technology moved forward with fluorescent lamps in general, the original, bulky magnetic ballasts were replaced with the more efficient and, importantly for compact fluorescent lamps, more compact electronic ballasts. This enabled manufacturers to reduce the size of the low energy light bulbs and thereby make them more appealing to the consumer.

As sales of low energy compact fluorescent lamps picked up, manufacturing rates increased and costs came down, making them much more appealing to consumers in terms of cost effectiveness. This increased sales volumes, which had a knock on effect in bringing the prices down even further. The savings in real terms has made these low energy light bulbs so popular that in some countries, sales of compact fluorescent lamps are outstripping those of standard incandescent light bulbs. In Australia such is the popularity of compact fluorescent lamps that the government is committed to phasing out incandescent bulbs from the marketplace altogether by 2010.

Low energy, compact fluorescent lamps typically save about eighty percent of the energy of incandescent light bulbs. A direct comparison between them will highlight the differences. An incandescent bulb rated at 100 watts will produce 1200 lumens (a lumen is a unit of light). A comparable compact fluorescent lamp will typically use only 20 watts of electricity to produce the same amount of light. This is a huge saving.

It is not only their energy saving characteristics that are making low energy light bulbs so popular. Their long life span is also a deciding factor when consumers weigh up the pros and cons of compact fluorescent lamps over incandescent light bulbs. Typically, incandescent bulbs have a lifespan of approximately 1000 hours, compared with between 8,000 and 15,000 hours for compact fluorescent lamps. With compact fluorescent lamps currently costing less than ten times the purchase price of typically comparable incandescent bulbs, the overall savings in monetary and environmental terms is considerable.

As technology continues to improve the design, size and energy consumption of these special light sources, they will continue to become even more cost effective over time. For the present, low energy light bulbs are a great cost cutting and environmentally friendly addition to homes, businesses and public buildings. In fact anywhere artificial light is needed, these bulbs will save money, energy and resources for generations to come.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Lighting