Energy Saving Light Bulbs

gwni

Hi,

I have energy saving bulbs all round my house, most of them are the small screw in bulbs that I got from Tesco when they were on offer. I don't really like the yellowey light they give off.

Does anyone have any recomendations on what is a good quality energy saving bulb that gives of a whiter light. There are a few manufacturers of these bulbs GE / Philips etc and are they any better and worth paying the little bit extra?

Thanks in advance
G

squeekswhenwalking

I personally think energy saving light bulbs aren't all that, heat from traditional bulbs isn't waste as theyd have us believe as its helping to heat the room. That aside, have you tried Halogen bulbs? they are classed as more energy saving than trad bulbs but give of a cleaner light.

gwni

We got new halogens put into the bathroom a few weeks ago after a refurb and the light is brilliant compared to the energy bulbs in the hallway. I think I will change to halogens at some stage when I get a few pound saved!!

Milko

LEDs are currently the highest energy saving lamps available but for quality & high brightness you need to pay realistic money for them (not the dreaded evilbay specials).
Replacing 50w halogen lamps (GU10 or MR16 downlights) with a good quality "Dimmable" LED lamp will save you dramatically over the lifespan of the lamp.
Typical 50w halogen = 2,000hr approx £1.50 each (Branded)
Typical 35w ICR halogen = 4,000hr approx £2.30 each (Branded)
Typical 7w LED = 35,000hr approx £25 each (Branded) - Less powerful & non dimmable are also available & obviously less expensive

So LED are effectively 10-15 times the initial outlay but with over 17 times the lifespan and thats before you work out the energy savings.
I should point out that I do sell "ALL" types of lamps within my business and feel qualified to explain this however, I don't want it seen as a sales pitch, simply making people aware of the options & savings.
To put it into perspective, a typical house using 10 downlights who change to 7w dimmable LEDs can expect to save the following
Year 1 = £6.95 (outlay for lamps is absorbed here)
Year 2 = £264.95
Year 3 = £520.86 etc... etc...
Figures based upon 14.5p/kwh
The biggest problem is getting people to make the intial spend to change to LED & in response to the OPs question, 3500k is the yellow glow you refer to where as 6000k is closer to more natural daylight (all available in LED)

Ben84

As mentioned earlier in one of the responses, the halogen replacements (42w replaces the old 60w and 70w replaces 100w) are very good, plus they're suitable for ordinary dimmer switches. I've been buying the Philips eco classic brand and they're good.

However, fluorescent bulbs have their uses too and are available in whiter light. Megaman bulbs are good quality and some (check the colour on the box) have the white light I believe you're looking for. Cheaper ones can be very yellow, but this is a result of the phosphor coating used inside the tubes rather than the technology itself. A different coating can give a different colour light and having compared bulbs against each other the difference is significant between a warm white and a cool white.

A.L.D.A

Milko excellent post, people would do well to read it. Switching to LEDs will really save you money.

squeekswhenwalking wrote: »

I personally think energy saving light bulbs aren't all that, heat from traditional bulbs isn't waste as theyd have us believe as its helping to heat the room.

I wish that tale would disappear. Think about it. I am right now sitting in a room with the window open and the light on. When I want heat I turn on the heating not the light. Just consider the number of times you have lights on and not heating. It is more often than most of us realise. Also electricity is an expensive energy source.

Energy saving lights do save you electricity LEDs do it in style.

wanchai_2

I hate those energy saving bulbs, the light from them is so dim and they take forever to light up! I still use 100w bulbs in all my light fittings. Just my own preference.

ETA: haven't tried LED yet.

SandLake

Good post Milko!

I have been interested in LED lights for a while but am just not sure they are suitable replacements and at the price they are it would be costly to buy them and find out they were the wrong choice.

I have 6 12v 50w (non-dimmable) MR16's in my kitchen on 2 circuits, a 4 and a 2. Could I replace all 6 with LED's and have the same light (and spread of light)?

What LED specification should I be looking for?

gibbyni

SandLake wrote: »

Good post Milko!

I have been interested in LED lights for a while but am just not sure they are suitable replacements and at the price they are it would be costly to buy them and find out they were the wrong choice.

I have 6 12v 50w (non-dimmable) MR16's in my kitchen on 2 circuits, a 4 and a 2. Could I replace all 6 with LED's and have the same light (and spread of light)?

What LED specification should I be looking for?

Im in the same position, I have 9 between 2 main rooms and another 3 in a bathroom. I hate turning them on as thay use so much power. I have energy savers in all the other lights but would love to replace the MR16's aswell but dont know what with.

Milko

SandLake wrote: »

Good post Milko!

I have been interested in LED lights for a while but am just not sure they are suitable replacements and at the price they are it would be costly to buy them and find out they were the wrong choice.

I have 6 12v 50w (non-dimmable) MR16's in my kitchen on 2 circuits, a 4 and a 2. Could I replace all 6 with LED's and have the same light (and spread of light)?

What LED specification should I be looking for?

Yes you could replace all 6 with non-dimmable high output LED lamps (min 5w but would advise 7w) and these would be available in either a cold white (6000k) or warm white (3500k) which is what most people are used to seeing. Being non-dimmable, expect to pay around the £20 mark & as for spread of light, it is lot more difficult to control the focus / angle of light from leds hence why most are simply rated as flood or 38/40 degree anyone offering "spot" lighting is telling a wee fib.

Same pretty much goes for you gibbyni although one thing I would suggest to both of you, is that you do away with the 12v transformer & simply use GU10 style LED (240v). This negates the chance of another common component failure (the tranny) and does away with another unnecessary electrical connection. Depending on the rooms / light levels required, you could also look at less bright lamps.

beanrua

One of to-day's national deals on Groupon is LED lights. three for £21, six for £39, nine for £49 and twelve for £59 - 4 watt.