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Low Energy Light Bulbs Explained
The EU has decreed that you'll no longer be able to find 60W bulbs at your local hardware store. This is no bad thing, as the planet warms and the UK struggles to hit revised emissions targets. Some tabloids have repeatedly attacked the performance of low energy light bulbs, but what are the facts?
Why Take Action?
- Lighting equates to 17.5% of global power consumption
- 80% of all lighting is via incandescent bulbs
- There are around 700,000,000 bulbs in the UK alone
- An 8-14W low energy bulb produces the same effect as an old 60W bulb
Compact Fluorescent Lamps
Compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) bulbs are the traditional energy-saving bulbs you're most likely to have at home. They use just 20% of the electricity of an old 'Edison' incandescent bulb, and will last around 10 times longer. Critics have argued that the amount of energy used in their manufacture outweighs the energy saving, but this argument has since been thoroughly debunked.
It's also a myth that the cost of these bulbs outweighs the saving on your energy bill. The cost of a CFL is now typically around £2, and will save you at least £2.50 per year in electricity. Given that they last for around five years, that's a £12.50 saving for a £2 investment. Assuming energy companies continue to hike prices, that £2.50 per year saving is likely to grow proportionally, ensuring the financial viability of CFLs.
Replacing all bulbs with CFL equivalents will knock at least 10% off your energy bill each year. Given the long lifespan of a CFL you'll save that 10% for many years without having to buy new bulbs.
As energy companies show no sign of abating their price hikes, this 10% saving will only increase.
CFL pros:
- Use one-fifth the energy (and therefore energy cost) of an incandescent bulb
- Will typically last for around five years
- Low purchase cost (around £2 per bulb)
CFL cons:
- Contain mercury, which can be damaging to both consumers (if not disposed of correctly) and people living close to manufacturing plants
- Usually not compatible with dimmer switches
- Take a few moments to warm up
- Not easily recyclable
Energy Saving Trust Advice
Incandescent vs CFL
25W = 5-7W
40W = 8-9W
60W = 11-14W
100W = 20-23W
Shopping For Bulbs
When you're in the lightbulb aisle and don't know which CFL to go for, a good rule of thumb is to divide the wattage on your appliance by four or five. Because CFLs typically use just one-fifth of the energy of a standard bulb, this is the wattage you'll need.
While unquestioningly greener than incandescent bulbs, CFLs have attracted negative publicity because of the use of mercury in their manufacture. Mercury is not only toxic but is notoriously difficult to dispose of safely. The amount of mercury in each bulb is tiny, but collectively adds up to a potentially serious environmental and health risk. Your local council recycling centre will almost certainly have facilities for disposal of CFLs, but what other alternatives are there?
Halogen Lighting
While more efficient than incandescent bulbs by around half, most rooms lit by halogen bulbs tend to have more light fittings, so the net saving is negligible. You'll save half the energy per bulb, but will probably need twice as many bulbs.
LED Lighting
A relative newcomer, to the world of home lighting, the development of LED bulbs has advanced in leaps and bounds. At present they're an expensive option at around £15 per bulb, but start to make sense when you consider the positives.
LED Pros:
- Will last 32 years (based on three hours of daily use)
- Will use 10% less energy than a CFL, which already uses 80% less energy than an incandescent bulb
- Instant illumination - no warm up required
- Compatible with dimmer switches
- Fully recyclable
- Contain no mercury
LED Cons:
- Currently high initial purchase price (around £15)
We've teamed up with Glo Lighting, a new LED bulb manufacturer, to help save on CO2 emissions and reduce the amount of mercury in our environment. If you visit www.glodomestic.com and enter discount code GLO4HOMES you'll save 25% on the purchase price of your Glo LED lighting.
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