Question about Low Energy Bulbs

tigermad

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By 31 DEC 2011: cease selling all remaining inefficient GLS A-shaped lamps and 60W “candle” and “golf ball” lamps. (predominantly 40W and 25W A-shaped GLS bulbs, and 60W candles and golf balls)

My 2 light fittings in the lounge use golf ball lights at the moment. Does that mean I will have to buy those coil ones instead?

I have found golf ball low energy ones but they are £6! each
 
By 31 DEC 2011: cease selling all remaining inefficient GLS A-shaped lamps and 60W “candle” and “golf ball” lamps. (predominantly 40W and 25W A-shaped GLS bulbs, and 60W candles and golf balls)

My 2 light fittings in the lounge use golf ball lights at the moment. Does that mean I will have to buy those coil ones instead?

I have found golf ball low energy ones but they are £6! each

There will be no law to stop anyone selling them or to stop people buying them, so I would expect some store somewhere to sell them or you will be able to get them on the net.

You could do what I am doing with normal bulbs and that is buy a few every week and store them. I refuse to use Low energy bulbs.

this is the problem with this country, they have all these bright ideas and they don't realise how much it will cost the public.
 
at the moment their is no law. Doesn't mean that its in the works to bann them. Eventually they will be banned. in the future though you will beable to use any lamps so long as the CFL/ LED and socket are the same size. The reason for this is that the CFL and LED use less power thus the wiring is more than ample to handle the lower energy use.

On the other hand if the lamp is made specifically for CFL the Wiring in the lamp would not beable to handle an indecent version of the bulb.

I doubt they would make a law banning the selling of back stock of the less energy efficient lamps and lights. The law that is created will only effect "NEWLY MANUFACTURED" lights and construction requirements.
 
at the moment their is no law. Doesn't mean that its in the works to bann them. Eventually they will be banned. in the future though you will beable to use any lamps so long as the CFL/ LED and socket are the same size. The reason for this is that the CFL and LED use less power thus the wiring is more than ample to handle the lower energy use.

On the other hand if the lamp is made specifically for CFL the Wiring in the lamp would not beable to handle an indecent version of the bulb.

I doubt they would make a law banning the selling of back stock of the less energy efficient lamps and lights. The law that is created will only effect "NEWLY MANUFACTURED" lights and construction requirements.

Not being funny, but you don't live in the U.K, so you don't know what will or will not be banned here. retailers in the U.K, have agree with the government to stop selling incandescent bulbs, but they don't have to. The dreaded E.U wants to make it law if it will happen is another thing, in my opinon it is nothing to do with the E.U. the main retailers may stop selling incandescent bulbs, but I expect there will still be smaller retailers selling them for a while.

I don't think it should have anything to do with the government what bulbs we sue, if I want to burn a 100watt bulb all night, then that is up to me, my money. If they want to ban incandescent bulbs, then maybe they should also ban 500watt outdoor lights that is all now all the rage.

I don't think we are going to get to the stage where the wiring in houses will just be enough to use low energy bulbs, well not for many years anyway.
I am stocking up on incandescent bulbs, just in case it gets difficult to buy them, I have not got 40 of them, that should last for a few years, should get another 50 or so in the next 12 months, Unless I have a lot of problems with bulbs blowing that should last me for at least 60 years, which by that time if I am still alive, I doubt i will care as I will be over 100 years old by then.

I don't like low energy bulbs and I don't see why I should be forced to use them, when other people don't give two hoots and still uses their 500watt outdoor light or their big 4x4.

Anyway you seen the size of these Low energy bulbs, they are massive and sticks out like a sore thumb.

Fend or please, I am staying with my incandescent bulbs.
 
this is the problem with this country, they have all these bright ideas and they don't realise how much it will cost the public.

It'll save the public money actually; even without rising energy prices the bulbs that cost more to buy will still be cheaper overall.

When I bought my current flat nearly 15 years ago 4 low energy bulbs cost me 15 pounds each. They lasted over 10 years and used less than a quarter of the power of normal lightbulbs.

Normal light bulbs are what "costs the public", if there was a conspiracy going on the energy companies would be giving them away for free to drive up demand, prices and hence profits. Glad to see you're doing your bit, which energy company do you have shares in?
 
When I bought my current flat nearly 15 years ago 4 low energy bulbs cost me 15 pounds each. They lasted over 10 years and used less than a quarter of the power of normal lightbulbs.

I think the companies that produce these bulbs have now cured their long life problems, and they will now fail after about 12-18 months.

Nobody worried about the mercury in the CFLs then?
Is energy savings our only environmental concern now? (and to hell with pollution)

It'll save the public money actually; even without rising energy prices the bulbs that cost more to buy will still be cheaper overall.
Unfortunately it won't save me money, as I will need to turn up other heating devices (not having central heating).

There are plenty more effective things the government could do to save the world before banning light bulbs
1) ban all cars with engines over 1000cc
2) ban all leisure air travel
3) ban central heating and air conditioning
 
I think the companies that produce these bulbs have now cured their long life problems, and they will now fail after about 12-18 months.
None of the replacements I've got have needed replacement at least 4 years on.
Nobody worried about the mercury in the CFLs then?
Is energy savings our only environmental concern now? (and to hell with pollution)


Unfortunately it won't save me money, as I will need to turn up other heating devices (not having central heating).
It will save you money in the summer.
There are plenty more effective things the government could do to save the world before banning light bulbs
1) ban all cars with engines over 1000cc
2) ban all leisure air travel
3) ban central heating and air conditioning

I believe Central Heating is more efficient than electric, especially light bulbs. Even more so with thermostatic radiator valves.
 
None of the replacements I've got have needed replacement at least 4 years on.
You purchased before they had the solution

It will save you money in the summer.
I'm partially underground and need small amounts of heat all year round

I believe Central Heating is more efficient than electric, especially light bulbs. Even more so with thermostatic radiator valves.

I suspect the carbon footprint from installing central heating equipment and burning oil to power it, would be substantially more than electricity from local wind turbines and burning a few home grown logs.

This is after all a combating global warming forum and you should at least make some pretense that you are helping the cause and not just trying to save yourself a few quid. Efficiency and saving the planet are two entirely different concepts, the most efficient way to power the UK might be with coal fired power stations (it works for China).
 
I suspect the carbon footprint from installing central heating equipment and burning oil to power it, would be substantially more than electricity from local wind turbines and burning a few home grown logs.
Central heating tends to be gas and does not have a substantially higher carbon footprint to install than electric heating. We used to burn a few homegrown logs in London but it killed too many people.
This is after all a combating global warming forum and you should at least make some pretense that you are helping the cause and not just trying to save yourself a few quid. Efficiency and saving the planet are two entirely different concepts, the most efficient way to power the UK might be with coal fired power stations (it works for China).

But the point is that the best way to start is to save yourself some money. It will help keep electricity prices lower too, less demand.
 
But the point is that the best way to start is to save yourself some money. It will help keep electricity prices lower too, less demand.

I thought the more the demand, the cheaper it becomes (economies of scale) or is that not true about privatised companies.
 
It'll save the public money actually; even without rising energy prices the bulbs that cost more to buy will still be cheaper overall.

When I bought my current flat nearly 15 years ago 4 low energy bulbs cost me 15 pounds each. They lasted over 10 years and used less than a quarter of the power of normal lightbulbs.

Normal light bulbs are what "costs the public", if there was a conspiracy going on the energy companies would be giving them away for free to drive up demand, prices and hence profits. Glad to see you're doing your bit, which energy company do you have shares in?

The bulbs may be cheap enough, but if people have to replace lamps because the things won't fit, then it is going to cost more money.

I have a nice lamp by my bed, there is no way that a Low energy bulb will fit it without taking the lampshade off, but of cause the government did not think of that.

Normal bulbs are cheap, I can get 6 for 99p, and they last for years, the annual cost of running a normal 100 watt bulb is not that much and what I would save in money would make my life more difficult.

I don't own any shares in anything.
 
This is after all a combating global warming forum and you should at least make some pretense that you are helping the cause and not just trying to save yourself a few quid.

Does this mean that we cannot post arguments that are contrary to the OPs arguments?:D

Re the light 'bulbs', actually their not bulbs,they are lamps, we put bulbs in the garden :cool:

Being serious for a mo, we started replacing some of our lamps with energy saving lamps, in some cases they are a dismal failure in others they have worked well in lighting terms.

If replacing lamps with something more energy efficient saves a few quid then great but the the disposal is a problem and will only get worse i suspect as they become more and more popular.

I suspect that LED technology will become more popular and effective in the short to medium term and these nasty looking energy saving lamps will disappear in the not too distant future.


Glenn
 
Re the light 'bulbs', actually their not bulbs,they are lamps, we put bulbs in the garden :cool:


Glenn

You had better let the millions of people who call them bulbs know then. And write to all the shops that are selling light "bulbs".

I have never heard them called lamps in my life !
 
does anyone know if the new ones fit with uplighters?

You may be lucky, a friend of mine got uplighters and it is difficult to find a low energy bulb to fit and when you do find one, it is not that great.

Myself I don't like uplighters.

Had a look at your photos, they are good.
 
I thought the more the demand, the cheaper it becomes (economies of scale) or is that not true about privatised companies.

1/ Not when the supply is limited
2/ Have you ever noticed that companies who want to merge quote "economies of scale" then whine about "overheads" when asked to compete with small companies?
 
I thought the more the demand, the cheaper it becomes (economies of scale) or is that not true about privatised companies.

Nope more the quantity the demand then lower the price. Want to drive price up you reduce the quantity so there are more people wanting the limited quantity thus people are willing to pay more to get it if they want it bad enough.
 
The bulbs may be cheap enough, but if people have to replace lamps because the things won't fit, then it is going to cost more money.

I have a nice lamp by my bed, there is no way that a Low energy bulb will fit it without taking the lampshade off, but of cause the government did not think of that.

Normal bulbs are cheap, I can get 6 for 99p, and they last for years, the annual cost of running a normal 100 watt bulb is not that much and what I would save in money would make my life more difficult.

I don't own any shares in anything.

Not only will it cost more money it will also accelerate resource depletion and pollution to produce the new lamps. especially when you have a perfectly working one already.
 
You had better let the millions of people who call them bulbs know then. And write to all the shops that are selling light "bulbs".

I have never heard them called lamps in my life !

LOL, it was meant as a joke :D, sorry if the humour passed you by.

As an aside i think it was betrand russel who said something along the lines that 'just because everyone does/thinks something is more likley to make that thing wrong/untrue bearing in mind the general silliness of mankind.

A bit like everyone calling a vacuum cleaner a hoover if you get my drift.

Glenn

Ps no offence:hiya:
 
LOL, it was meant as a joke :D, sorry if the humour passed you by.

As an aside i think it was betrand russel who said something along the lines that 'just because everyone does/thinks something is more likley to make that thing wrong/untrue bearing in mind the general silliness of mankind.

A bit like everyone calling a vacuum cleaner a hoover if you get my drift.

Glenn

Ps no offence:hiya:


No offence taken. Its hard to interpret whether someone is joking when its in written format because there is no "tone" to it.

I was just having a bad day :)
 
Not only will it cost more money it will also accelerate resource depletion and pollution to produce the new lamps. especially when you have a perfectly working one already.

So it is best if I keep to my normal bulbs then after all
 
So it is best if I keep to my normal bulbs then after all

NO!
It is best to keep searching for the energy efficient bulbs that actually fit your current lamp.

Here in the USA we use CFL in a standard socket Or buy special CFL for the candle light sockets and such.
 
NO!
It is best to keep searching for the energy efficient bulbs that actually fit your current lamp.

Here in the USA we use CFL in a standard socket Or buy special CFL for the candle light sockets and such.

Oh yes we got CFL bulbs that will fit in a standard socket and we have candle light ones, but they still don't put out the light that is required, and they still look ugly.

I have no idea what type of sockets you use in the states, but we normally use the bayonet fitting, but if you use anything as dangerous as your wall electricity sockets, then I would be a bit worried about putting a heavy CFL bulb in there.

Well as i said before, I am not chucking my lamp out and I certainly don't have time to wander around town for hours on end just to look for a bulb to fit it, so if it is ok with you I will continue using Incandescent bulbs. Mind you if it is not ok with you I am still going to carry on using them.
 
As a thought, in broad terms it is more wasteful to replace a functioning item with a low energy unless the item fails.

Unless the efficiency discrepancy is huge, the initial 'fuel cost' of producing the efficient item will not be recovered.

I cannot say for certain since i haven't looked at the relative life cycle efficiencies of CFL over tungsten filament lamps, but i suspect the benefits of replacing before failure diminish to a level where they cannot be justified at least on the basis of the environment.

Be interested if anyone has any links which address this kind of issue. I know the recent trend in the UK to buy the latest Prius has made me wonder how much additional pollution is caused by people buying the Prius to 'save',' the planet as opposed to keeping their old vehicles.

Glenn
 
As a thought, in broad terms it is more wasteful to replace a functioning item with a low energy unless the item fails.

Unless the efficiency discrepancy is huge, the initial 'fuel cost' of producing the efficient item will not be recovered.

I cannot say for certain since i haven't looked at the relative life cycle efficiencies of CFL over tungsten filament lamps, but i suspect the benefits of replacing before failure diminish to a level where they cannot be justified at least on the basis of the environment.

Be interested if anyone has any links which address this kind of issue. I know the recent trend in the UK to buy the latest Prius has made me wonder how much additional pollution is caused by people buying the Prius to 'save',' the planet as opposed to keeping their old vehicles.

Glenn

so going by what you are saying getting rid of the 80 or so Incandescent bulbs I in my cupboard would not be a good idea.

I just wonder how many people do replace Incandescent bulbs with CFL, even if the original bulb is still working.

When I went to CFL for a few months, I replaced bulbs as they failed apart from the stairs, as I never replaced the ones in the hall or on top of the stairs.

The problem is now I have six CFL bulbs that I doubt I will ever use again. I can't give them away so it seems like they will be chucked in the bin. and go to landfill.
 

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