Low energy lights - do they really save money

[Taylortwocities]

Interesting item on the radio today.

Some folk have been taking a look at the government's push for us all to have low energy lamps. these are wonderful because for 20watts consumed in a low energy lamp you get the same light output that you get from a regular 100W GLS tungsten lamp.

The remaining 80W is heat.

Chap suggested that if we swap to low energy then our houses will be proportionately colder and as a result the central heating system will have to work harder to get back to the same ambient temperature.

Result: lower bills lighting your house but higher bills heating it.
So not quite as energy efficient as HMG had hoped.!!

TTC

 

[dave21478]

yes, I can see the theory behind it.
The Mrs used to leave a bedside lamp on in the winter evenings to take the chill off the bedroom in our pre-central heating days. When she fitted a low-energy bulb this proved to be futile.

 

[Adam_151]

Its something I've had pointed out to me before and have thought about abit, and they are in some circumstances pointless... if you are using the light in winter, heat by electricity and the light isn't one of these stupid ones that recesses into the ceiling... then it would seem rather futile to fit CFLs

But half the year is summer and lots of people heat with gas which is cheaper than electricty, plus thermostats arn't that greatly sensitive so whether the extra heat is significant enough... :s

I'd say if you have a room with a lot of lamps (we have one with 13!) and use them in the summer as well as the winter (like we all do) then with the current price of CFLs its probably worth fitting them, they last longer as well (if nothing else, the fact that I don't have to continually reset tripped breakers in the dark is good enough!)

A downside of course is the poisonous metals in something thats supposedly green and is going to end up in the landfill eventually, it is probably more green to not overfill the kettle and to switch off the tv when you arn't watching it

 

[sm1thson]

yeah gas is cheaper, and lights are generally at the top of the room so the heat given off is of no/little benefit.

 

[consciouspnm]

A downside of course is the poisonous metals in something thats supposedly green and is going to end up in the landfill eventually, it is probably more green to not overfill the kettle and to switch off the tv when you arn't watching it

My large plasma TV uses 1w when on standby and my mobile phone charger is not measurable it's so low. More myths...?

 

[big-all]

A downside of course is the poisonous metals in something thats supposedly green and is going to end up in the landfill eventually, it is probably more green to not overfill the kettle and to switch off the tv when you arn't watching it

My large plasma TV uses 1w when on standby and my mobile phone charger is not measurable it's so low. More myths...?

i have several tvs and vidoes [non plasma ] and the average they use is 17 percent on standby which is around 6w average over 10 so thats 60w per hour around 10p a day or £36 a year for a little red light


as for not using low energy light bulbs because normals give out more heat i think thats more phyclogical than actual use

 

[Chri5]

Australia have just announced that in 3 years time all filament lamps will be banned in favour of low energy units.

 

[Taylortwocities]

Think the Oz sparkies will be kept busy replacing all those dimmer switches then!!

TTC

 

[Diyisfun]

Arnt they about saving energy. That is not necessarily money.
They cost more to buy.

 

[Chri5]

They save money in 2 ways.

1st is the 20w light = 100w old type lamp, so x5 less to use

2nd is the 5000 hours use life, which is about the same as x10 normal bulbs

 

[Diyisfun]

They save money in 2 ways.

1st is the 20w light = 100w old type lamp, so x5 less to use

2nd is the 5000 hours use life, which is about the same as x10 normal bulbs

What about the extra cost to buy, & the fact you have to spend money that could be earning interest. Then how to factor accidental damage, also not having the 'mood of light you want'.
I have plenty of them, these are the lamps I leave on, ie hall, landing, entrance.

 

[2scoops0406]

i have several tvs and vidoes [non plasma ]

Snap, I have a non plasma video too

 

[Chri5]

They save money in 2 ways.

1st is the 20w light = 100w old type lamp, so x5 less to use

2nd is the 5000 hours use life, which is about the same as x10 normal bulbs

What about the extra cost to buy, & the fact you have to spend money that could be earning interest. Then how to factor accidental damage, also not having the 'mood of light you want'.
I have plenty of them, these are the lamps I leave on, ie hall, landing, entrance.

The item posted marked '2nd' should have been clearer, 5000 hours is say 10 times the life of a cheap filament bulb. A 100w being 50p, that would equate to £5.00 of filament bulbs being used in the same period as one £3.00 LE bulb, as for interest saving are you joking???

10 builbs LE = £30.00, 2 years life at 3.5% net per year, a whoopee do lose of interest of £2.20
If your going to use that as a reasoning, there is no helping some....

 

[Diyisfun]

Chris5, My point was trying to say its not only about the life of LE. Most of my lighting is on dimmers, but I do have 1 particular LE in an uplighter in the living room this is on a time switch & I think its just so practical being on when I get home & not having to turn it off at night, & of course itc cheap to run.
Ps this LE lamp is now 4 years old

 

[Sandy Beech]

They save money in 2 ways.

1st is the 20w light = 100w old type lamp, so x5 less to use

2nd is the 5000 hours use life, which is about the same as x10 normal bulbs

I use some low energy bulbs but have not yet got one to last anywhere near the alleged 5 years. My daughter had one that did but by then it was about as useful as a glow worm.
My big gripe is that when I tried to use them in a bathroom fitting the slow warm up time meant that just when the light was at its brightest coincided with the time I had finished in the bathroom! The other thing that would concern me is that some older light fittings do not lend themselves to the styles of LE currently available. Hopefully manufacturers will have this sorted by the time that the EU decide to follow Oz - who incidentally still refuse to sign up to the Kyoto agreement.