Why can you still buy non-"energy saving" lightbulbs?

[EastEnder]

Our bedside lamp.

Is that what it takes when even mega-strength Viagra stops working?

((((golightly))))

 

[gentlegreen]

You can get all sorts of eco bulbs now. I have 1w leds in my kitchen that are like the 50w halogens.

If the government banned non eco bulbs and we all switched we could dispose of two nuclear PowerStation's in the UK.

I fully agree on the second point, but is 1 watt of LED really as bright as 50 watts of halogen ?
And how does the colour temperature compare ? (i.e. are they as food-flattering as the lamps they replace ? )

 

[EastEnder]

Not immediately no but they get there after a couple of minutes of "warming up" I think.

Actually, ime, low energy bulbs these days are a lot better than they used to be. I remember some of the early ones were much more like compact florescent tubes - bulky, took a while to properly light up, unnatural quality to the light. The ones I've bought over the last year don't seem to suffer in the same way. They do take a fraction longer to start up (i.e. a fraction of a second rather than immediate for incandescent) but it's pretty trivial, and the light output seems very little different to regular incandescent bulbs.

Just remembered, my uplighter in the living room doesn't use a 100W bulb, it uses a 500W halogen bulb, like this:

I'd be amazed if you can get a low energy replacement for that!

 

[5T3R30TYP3]

The energy saving bulb's we've got are (almost) daylight-balanced. In reality they're a little blue. But I prefer that to the nasty orange light that incandescent bulbs emitt.

They're as bright (if not brighter than) normal bulbs too.

 

[Snorkelboy]

Why are electrical goods allowed to be sold with a "standby" option?
Why are cars with big throbbing non efficient engines allowed to be sold?
Why are all tvs in 5 or 10 years going to be using widescreen technologies which use way more power than current technologies?
Why are people allowed to upgrade mobile phones every 2 weeks rather than waiting for the old phone to break/ become obsolete?

The list can go on and on.

Legislating against these things may be draconian, but the only other option is us humans suddenly changing from the selfish fuckers we are - which isn't going to happen soon

 

[merlin wood]

IMHO, it would be a bit draconian to outlaw incandescent bulbs. I'd rather see them taxed at a higher rate, with the extra revenue used to reduce tax on low energy bulbs.

Great idea

 

[gentlegreen]

Why are electrical goods allowed to be sold with a "standby" option?

Why are all tvs in 5 or 10 years going to be using widescreen technologies which use way more power than current technologies?

1. So they can respond to the remote control.

2. Because the picture's better and widescreen is here, now - I take it you have colour TV ?

 

[Miscellaneous]

the fucking bulbs dont dit into the sockets we have, and we couldnt afford it.

 

[gentlegreen]

the fucking bulbs dont dit into the sockets we have, and we couldnt afford it.

If you're strapped for cash, you can't afford not to change - they cost a couple of quid and pay for themselves in no time at all - do the sums !

 

[Orang Utan]

I'm not sure I understand the affordabilty factor - they last ages, so they're cheaper in the long run

 

[gentlegreen]

I'm not sure I understand the affordabilty factor - they last ages, so they're cheaper in the long run

The main cost is electricity - dwarfs the lamp cost.
replace 100 watt lamp with 20 watt CFL

at 8p per unit, the saving is 0.64 p per hour.
In 100 hours the saving is £6.40
Lamp life is what ? - 10,000 hours ?

 

[lostexpectation]

becuase they are more expensive and we are bourgeious people creating more problems for the poor by expecting them to be able to afford them and if they choose to buy them cos they strapped for cahs we shouldn't hassle them for it. /s

 

[Miscellaneous]

I'm not sure I understand the affordabilty factor - they last ages, so they're cheaper in the long run

to get a bulb to fit some of our fittings, they are £10 a pop- with a new baby, a toddler and only one household income coming in...

If anyone wants to buy the baby some lightbulbs- im sure he will thank you in the future.

 

[gentlegreen]

People too often choose lighting based on their own warped aesthetics rather than following the age old rule "let form follow function".

 

[5T3R30TYP3]

You can get energy saving lightbulbs for (guess how much) from Poundland, so the affordability argument is bollocks.

There are a lot of schemes across the country that give out free energy saving lightbulbs as well, for example my local library. Why not check and see if there's a similar scheme near you?

 

[GarfieldLeChat]

Cos energy saving light bulbs are shit - I don't use them - you can't use them with dimmer switches and they're not bright enough

you should see mine in mahouse fooking 100 watt equiverlents and all eco freindly and all ecept tha bathroom cos some twunt thought that they'd set the shower curtain rail at light bulb height under the light bulb meaning that even the lgiht bulb shaped ones are to long by about 2 cms to fit under it...

 

[spanglechick]

You can get energy saving lightbulbs for (guess how much) from Poundland, so the affordability argument is bollocks.

There are a lot of schemes across the country that give out free energy saving lightbulbs as well, for example my local library. Why not check and see if there's a similar scheme near you?

in his defense, the only place i've found candle-shaped screw-ins is ikea for approx £8 for 2. if those were hard to find cheaply, so might others be.

 

[Miscellaneous]

You can get energy saving lightbulbs for (guess how much) from Poundland, so the affordability argument is bollocks.

There are a lot of schemes across the country that give out free energy saving lightbulbs as well, for example my local library. Why not check and see if there's a similar scheme near you?

Well, i'll ask poundland if they can open a store in my village just to get lightbulbs frm, otherwise there is no wayI can get to one... disadvantage of living in the middle of 'kin nowhere.

Also- i wonder if they will fit the fittings we have- we cannot find ones anywhere that will fit into the fittings...

 

[EastEnder]

Well, i'll ask poundland if they can open a store in my village just to get lightbulbs frm, otherwise there is no wayI can get to one... disadvantage of living in the middle of 'kin nowhere.

Now you're just being silly.....

Much more sensible suggestion: Move.

 

[_angel_]

I'm not sure I understand the affordabilty factor - they last ages, so they're cheaper in the long run

Mine keep blowing!

 

[Psychonaut]

Hopefully LEDS will take over CFLs, when the price drops. At which point maybe CFLs should be banned? LEDs both run cheaper AND contain 0% mercury.

Lots of people with autustic spectrum disorders have problems with flourescent lighting, which is good reason not to ban incandescents (at least untill the LED equivalent becomes affordable)

 

[gentlegreen]

Hopefully LEDS will take over CFLs, when the price drops. At which point maybe CFLs should be banned? LEDs both run cheaper AND contain 0% mercury.

Lots of people with autustic spectrum disorders have problems with flourescent lighting, which is good reason not to ban incandescents (at least untill the LED equivalent becomes affordable)

The teeny bit of mercury in CFLs is more than outweighed by the mercury that is then not produced by coal-fired power stations.

I won't hold my breath for LEDs ...
I doubt they will be cost-effective before your CFLs have paid for themselves.

(you don't have shares in one of these hyped-up technology companies do you ?)

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

The teeny bit of mercury in CFLs is more than outweighed by the mercury that is then not produced by coal-fired power stations.

I won't hold my breath for LEDs ...
I doubt they will be cost-effective before your CFLs have paid for themselves.

(you don't have shares in one of these hyped-up technology companies do you ?)

The 1w halogen style bulbs in my kitchen are LED. They didn't cost all that much, are 50 times cheaper to run adn won't ever burn out.

 

[GarfieldLeChat]

it seems one of the proposals in the energy review will be to ban old style bulbs anyway....

 

[gentlegreen]

The 1w halogen style bulbs in my kitchen are LED. They didn't cost all that much, are 50 times cheaper to run adn won't ever burn out.

Anything's better than low-wattage quartz halogen.

But no way Jose are 1 watt LEDs the equivalent of 50 watt dichroics or the Jeremy Clarsons of this world would go green overnight.
If they were I'd use them on my pushbike instead of the 9 watt CFL I currently use.

 

[magneze]

I'm not sure I understand the affordabilty factor - they last ages, so they're cheaper in the long run

Exactly! There's really no excuse, just governments looking at "spectacular" solutions rather than practical ones.

 

[magneze]

it seems one of the proposals in the energy review will be to ban old style bulbs anyway....

Interesting ... got a linky?

 

[Psychonaut]

The teeny bit of mercury in CFLs is more than outweighed by the mercury that is then not produced by coal-fired power stations.

Yes, but thats in comparison to incandescents. LEDS are solid-state, whereas CFLs create a surge much greater (4x?) than the rated wattage every time you fire them up. Id expect LEDs to last (on average) longer than CFLs.

LEDs are already in some traffic lights, and i think even in car brake-lights. They might not be competitive right now, but every so often the technology leaps forward.

I wouldnt have such a problem with Fluoros/HIDs if we actually had proper & mandatory recycling facilities. Every time you chuck one in the bin, the environment gets a little bit worse.

 

[gentlegreen]

Yes, but thats in comparison to incandescents. LEDS are solid-state, whereas CFLs create a surge much greater (4x?) than the rated wattage every time you fire them up. Id expect LEDs to last (on average) longer than CFLs.

LEDs are already in some traffic lights, and i think even in car brake-lights. They might not be competitive right now, but every so often the technology leaps forward.

I wouldnt have such a problem with Fluoros/HIDs if we actually had proper & mandatory recycling facilities. Every time you chuck one in the bin, the environment gets a little bit worse.

LEDs are used for reasons other than efficiency.
Low wattage LEDs work well with batteries.

CFLs are the most efficient practicable light source up to about 70 watts when metal halides and HPS take over.

I save my fluorescent lights up till I go to the recycling centre - but that doesn't happen very often.

 

[exosculate]

If people could just do the following - things could be better

1) Tea drinkers regulate how much water they put in their kettles

2) Electronic manufacturers fit as standard a better stand-by system for TVs etc.


Oh the power stations that would save.........................