Have light bulbs become overpriced?

heather_p03

Not exactly electricty but ...

I haven't bought any light bulbs for quite some time, perhaps 3 years or so, having stocked up while they were dirt cheap (2p per bulb - yes, 5 for 10p).

I now need to buy more having installed my last one a few days ago.

I was gobsmacked to find my local supermarket selling bulbs at £1.99 - £3 each!!

Does anyone have any suggestions before I resort to candles?

And one last rant: these so called long lasting energy saving light bulbs they certainly don't last 10 years do they?

Wywth

heather_p03 wrote: »

Not exactly electricty but ...

I haven't bought any light bulbs for quite some time, perhaps 3 years or so, having stocked up while they were dirt cheap (2p per bulb - yes, 5 for 10p).

I now need to buy more having installed my last one a few days ago.

I was gobsmacked to find my local supermarket selling bulbs at £1.99 - £3 each!!

Does anyone have any suggestions before I resort to candles?

And one last rant: these so called long lasting energy saving light bulbs they certainly don't last 10 years do they?

You are having to buy more? :eek:

I've never changed one of these long life bulbs yet (well I have done one which I physically broke by accident), and I've still got a cupboard full of free/dirt cheap replacements.

The price you see today more accuately reflects the real cost as opposed to the free/heaviliy discounted ones care of the energy suppliers.

Try the pound shops.

forgotmyname

2p per bulb wow thats inflation for you. I got mine from Tesco for 1p.

But they dont last as long as they should. But i bought loads. You were limited to 3 i think, So we all grabbed 3 and queued up at different tills then went back for more.

Get decent ones and they last. The ones in my hallway were fitted in 1998 and still going strong.

Lagoon

heather_p03 wrote: »

And one last rant: these so called long lasting energy saving light bulbs they certainly don't last 10 years do they?

That could be because you've got the cheap ones?

How long have they been common, now? We just had to replace one, the first we've ever replaced, but it was in this house before us and we've now been here a little over two years. I was shocked when it went, but also pleased that it just sort of faded away rather than making a loud noise like the old style used to. Always made me jump.

rogerblack

heather_p03 wrote: »

Not exactly electricty but ...

I haven't bought any light bulbs for quite some time, perhaps 3 years or so, having stocked up while they were dirt cheap (2p per bulb - yes, 5 for 10p).

Because that was not the real, but the subsidised price, and those subsidies have gone away.

Speaking personally, I bought enough to last me till I'll be replacing with LED.

Nada666

It may be shocking (and annoying after all the green-washing free ones) but do remember you get your money back in electricity savings relatively quickly.

It will be at least one penny per hour cheaper to run. So free after less than 250 hours. That's only a bit more than two months if used four hours per day.

victor2

The only one I've replaced was due to me physically breaking it. But I do find the CFL "candle" bulbs annoying, they're bigger than the good old incandescent ones so don't always fit, and when you do get them in they take a good minute to warm up and give out a useful amount of light.
I seem to remember they cost me 10p each though, so were expensive ones too!

tracey3596

Decent ones do seem to last longer.
A suggestion ..... though 1 or 2p each may be pushing your luck a little, our local (small) B & Q ALWAYS has end-of-line/ reduced bulbs. I've not paid more than £1 for 3 bulbs in ages - and I stocked up only a month or two ago.:cool:

DragonQ

Recently had to get a bulb for my new lounge cos one of the three was missing, and the two existing ones were utterly crap (must be really old early-gen CFLs cos they barely emit any light for the first 2-3 minutes). Paid £2.50 from B&Q I think, which was a bit steep but needed it fast and it's one of those stupid "candle" ones. Would normally buy the traditional curly CFLs but they wouldn't have fit.

I've never had to replace a new-gen bulb, although there was one in the cupboard labelled "dead" when I moved in. Plus a few that work but wouldn't fit the lounge fitting. >_>

Buzby

CFL is so old hat these days, and worth avoiding now that SMD & LED bulbs are offering greater light instantly, fur a couple of watts.

rogerblack

Buzby wrote: »

CFL is so old hat these days, and worth avoiding now that SMD & LED bulbs are offering greater light instantly, fur a couple of watts.

I would at the moment say hold off on LED.
While quality LED bulbs with efficiencies of over CFLs can be found - with a similar light output - they are not common, and are currently quite expensive.
This is a rapidly developing area.

Plus, even the best commercial lights only approach twice as efficient as CFL. A 2W LED will produce the same total light output as about a 4W CFL - best case.