Smart Spending

By Voice of Reason

December 8, 2008 8:21 AM | Link to this

You didn’t say what you thought of the light you get from the bulbs; is it the same quality of light? Please advise.

I am not into all this “green” stuff; I like my life, and items as they’ve been (mostly). And, are they going to phase out the usual incandescent bulbs? If so, I might hoard.

I tried to buy some 85 watt bulbs the other day and they don’t make them anymore, cause the company is trying to get us to use less energy. Let me use what I want to use to get the light I want. Oh well… Good morning anyway.

By Kareem

December 8, 2008 8:35 AM | Link to this

I replaced every light bulb in my house with the energy saving bulbs. My power bill was normally between $70-$90 a month. My bill for last month was $38.20. THEY REALLY DO WORK So if sticking to tradition is your only reason for spending more money when you can save with the bulbs go ahead. Ill use my saving for gifts.

Kareem

By ron

December 8, 2008 8:40 AM | Link to this

I have used energy saving,compact fluorescents for many years.They usually save about 75% of the energy used by incandescent bulbs.A 13 watt fluorescent has comparable lumens to a 60 watt incandescent.

The real savings are in the form of LED’s.These use only a fraction of the power of an incandescent.This technology is in it’s infancy so bulbs are expensive,but savings are great.I have a set of LED pathway lights that draw 3/10 of a watt each.The transformer draws 6 watts for a total load of 8.8 watts.

There are many varities of LED string lights for holidays out there that draw ridiculously little power and have a life expectancy of 100,000 hours.These strings are not as bright as c-7 or c-9 bulbs but they cost only a fraction as much to run.

By Hello Voice of Reason

December 8, 2008 8:40 AM | Link to this

I don’t “buy” into all the hype of green either, but I do replace my bulbs (when they blow out) with Energy-Saving Bulbs. The GE type seem to be the best but I have one comment. I think you must be already hoarding bulbs since I can’t ever remember seeing 85 watt bulbs.

By Dale

December 8, 2008 8:47 AM | Link to this

I replaced ALL of the lights in our house last spring with the energy savers. The initial cost was a little high but what ta heck, if they pay for themselves than why not. The light is generally softer so if you’re using them in a recessed light hole in your ceiling, go with a little higher wattage, say the 75’s. I use the 60’s and they are barely adequate. If you install them in your ceiling fan where they are close together, use the 40’s, 60’s in a ceiling fan were darn near blinding. For light sets in a bathroom where there are 6 in a row or more, again use the 40’s unless you want a LOT of light. Hope this helps. Oh, and I’ve had to replace about 6 or 8 of mine so far, all of them were in the bathrooms so it may be just a moisture problem. All in all, I like them and will continue to use them.

By cwied

December 8, 2008 8:56 AM | Link to this

I have found that these new lights come in different qualities. Some have a chance to last and others burn out within 3 weeks. They have murcury in them. I guess the hazmat teams will be kept buisy with broken lights. In our cold climate these lights put off much less light as the gas that turns to a plazma remains cool.

The color spectom is not what most are use to. They give off what seams to be a blue spectrom I would have to check on this though. It is hard to see if my meat is done though.

I guess all in all it is worth a try. I still have lights from the 1950s that work at my house. Hmmmmmmmm That is a bit longer than the 3-5 years promissed by the new lights.

By Clay

December 8, 2008 9:00 AM | Link to this

Every lamp in my house but one has the compact flourescent bulbs and I have no problems with them. They put off much less heat and I have no compaints with the quality of the light. I don’t know if I’m saving a bunch of money on my power bill, but I like to think I am.

By Jessa

December 8, 2008 9:06 AM | Link to this

We live in an old house and were going through light bulbs at record speed. We started off with one in the carport about four years ago (back when they were twice as much) and it finally burned out last month. We replaced the rest of our bulbs late last year (bought multi packs at Sams) and we saw a decrease in our power bill. They now make bulbs specifically for the bathroom vanity and are starting to come out with more decorative ones and ones for flood lights outside. I think it was well worth the cost and would recommend them to everyone.

By Mark Bittner

December 8, 2008 9:15 AM | Link to this

We’ve been very disappointed with how long these bulbs last. We switched out our kitchen and family room lights and go through a new bulb about every three months. Definitely not the long-term life represented on the package, at least in our situation.

By Ol Guy

December 8, 2008 9:16 AM | Link to this

Folks, it’s not rocket science ! A 13w compact flourescent bulb uses LESS energy than a 100w bulb. A house full will make a noticeable reduction in your monthly power bill. Contrary to VoR’s idiocy, it’s a GOOD idea.

By Rob

December 8, 2008 9:20 AM | Link to this

There are different “colors” (hues) of compact fluorescents - some are more “incandescent looking” than others. (ex. Home Depot brand bulbs have green and blue packages - I forget which is which)

The color also varies with the brand.

The difference (vs. incandescents) is primarily noticeable in lamps; for those behind globes, it is less noticeable.

By Corners guy

December 8, 2008 9:20 AM | Link to this

I bought several CF bulbs of various wattages, but I’m having trouble finding fixtures to accommodate them. If the socket is even slightly recessed the width of the ballast base prevents insertion of the bulb. Lamps that take a 3-way bulb won’t fit a 3-way CF bulb because it sits taller than the harp holding the shade. One bulb that I did manage to install has already burned out, and I don’t know where to discard it, as it contains mercury.

By Sleepy on Mondays

December 8, 2008 9:36 AM | Link to this

For those wondering what to do with your burnt out bulbs, I noticed that Home Depot has recycling for them now.

By Chief Wiggum

December 8, 2008 9:40 AM | Link to this

Ol Guy, from another Ol Guy….

The point isn’t the energy savings from the wattage. That isn’t in question. What is a concern is the initial purchase cost, and the time to get the return on investment, and whether the bulb will last that long. I remember when these CFL bulbs were $5 a piece, and the ROI period was too long to make it worth it.

By oh brother

December 8, 2008 9:50 AM | Link to this

these lights do last a lot longer, and save a lot of power, which equals money savings for you, cleaner air, and conservation of water (did you know power plants in ga are one of the biggest users of water). this city is going to run out of water if we don’t wise up. in these circumstances, it is ridiculous to whine about the quality of the light you like and refuse to use these bulbs.

green reasons for using these are not “hype.” they are facts.

By GERALD

December 8, 2008 9:51 AM | Link to this

I question the longevity of the bulbs. One lasted two days and another lasted less than 10 minutes. Two others are still ok.

By Bill

December 8, 2008 9:53 AM | Link to this

Not sure if they still do, but Home Depot used to have a display with 3 or 4 different fluorescent bulb types. It was easy to make a choice of the different light they put out. We replaced most of the bulbs in out home and have not regretted it. The bulbs in the green package seemed to match the conventional incadescent bulbs for us. The convenience of not having to change bulbs is as appealing a benefit as the economic savings.

By ZEKE

December 8, 2008 9:58 AM | Link to this

I do not fall for this headlong rush to green! It is a conspiracy to make us go for “saving the Earth” which we cannot do to start with! These bulbs do not give near the intensity or quality of light of the incandesant bulbs! And the mercury, it is deadly! We are told to avoid foods and items containing mercury! Power plants are constantly bashed by you good enviro terrorist because they put ‘some’ mercury in the water and air! MAKE UP YOUR MINDS!

By Koz

December 8, 2008 10:00 AM | Link to this

Love em. But the squiggly bulbs don’t work well outside or in cold places. I replaced my old spotlights with EE spotlights, now I have to go back to the old ones again. Other than that they are great.

By ron

December 8, 2008 10:03 AM | Link to this

Dear Dale @8:47—- You should not be replacing bulbS you installed last spring yet.Do the bulbs in the bathroom have a closed globe over them?Many of these bulbs are not designed for use inside closed globes.

By Bill

December 8, 2008 10:05 AM | Link to this

Kareem, there is no way that you reduced your power bill by $30 to $40 a month by changing your bulbs. They are minimal users of power and it will take a lot longer (years) than a month to save as much as you say.

By George P. Burdell

December 8, 2008 10:12 AM | Link to this

I don’t care about the green aspects one way or the other, but I do like saving money. I’ve never noticed any problems with the light color but I do know some people have issues with them. I replaced all of our lights a year and a half ago when we moved into our new house and none of the CFL’s have burned out yet.

As far as the cost savings go, it is a no-brainer. Even at $5.00 a bulb, the economics are clear cut. At $5.00 for the CFL versus $0.25 for an incandescent at the same lumens output, you only have to operate the light for around 60 hours to break even. Even if you have to replace the CFL more often than advertised, you are still saving money. If you aren’t getting 60 hours of use out of a CFL you probably should have your wiring checked.

By stonoguy

December 8, 2008 10:14 AM | Link to this

The great thing about these bulbs are that if the lamp says 60w max, you can insert a energy saving light bulb that’s equal to 75w or 100w incandescent bulb and still be below the 60w limit with the brightness incressed…….nice!! They now make a low profile (100w) energy saving bulb for the fixtures that need them. The only drawback I see with these energy saving bulbs is that won’t work in an EZ bake oven!!:)

By geekboy

December 8, 2008 10:17 AM | Link to this

I know nothing of savings, but the bulbs i put on my front porch have remained on for over 2 years and have yet to falter.

By jon gill

December 8, 2008 10:19 AM | Link to this

I think it is everyone’s patriotic duty to try to save enrgy. It is a national security issue. Those new bulbs are great. The light is so much brighter and cheerier than the old edison bulbs.

By Stacey

December 8, 2008 10:35 AM | Link to this

Kareem…I think it is probably a coincidence that your power bill was cut in half after one month of using energy efficient bulbs. My power bill is 1/3 of what it was in September but it’s because I turned off my air conditioner, not because I changed light bulbs.

By Mike

December 8, 2008 10:45 AM | Link to this

I bought lamp sized fluorescent bulbs when they were on sale a year ago and replaced in our 5-6 most used lights. My bill went down about $15 per month and has stayed that way. I guess that works out to a payback of a couple months. So I’ve started replacing any burned out lights with them. Warning, I bought some fan sized bulbs which look like the old type at Ikea and they take a long time to warm up and produce much light. I wouldn’t buy those type until the technology gets better.

By Pam

December 8, 2008 10:57 AM | Link to this

Most of my lighting comes from lamps — all using 3-way bulbs. I haven’t seen any of these energy saving bulbs that will produce that kind of lighting, so I haven’t used them. Have I missed something?

By James

December 8, 2008 11:17 AM | Link to this

I’ve been experimenting with these off and on since they first came out.

Light Quality: Not as good. Often brighter than an incandescent, but much harsher. Incandescents are much more pleasant for reading etc. The kind that are round instead of squiggly are actually quite dim and take forever to warm up—I can’t recommend them. They also don’t last as long as the squiggly kind.

Durability: (Usually) far better than a standard incandescent. Caveat: there seems to be a large percentage of “duds”. They are cheaper and more durable than they used to be, but even so don’t expect one to last much more than a year.

Power Savings: Significant in the short term, but only just barely enough to pay off in the long term.

By RCH

December 8, 2008 11:32 AM | Link to this

I have been very disappointed withe the GE energy savings lights. I have installed them indoors and out. They seem to give off a blueish hazy light. Rather than lasting three years they seem to have to be replaced every three months. Not fun when you have to climb 40 feet in the air to replace the flood lights on the sides of the house.

By Alan

December 8, 2008 11:35 AM | Link to this

I hate the things. I’ve tried every brand available and none will last any appreciable length of time. I grew tired of replacing them and went back to old reliable.

By CD

December 8, 2008 11:48 AM | Link to this

I’ll go with the Phillips energy saving Halogena bulbs. I can’t stand flickering florescent CFL’s with my migraines, and my rough and rowdy kids break bulbs by knocking over lamps. I’m just not taking a chance with spilled mercury inside my house. Halogena is as close as it gets to incandescents, and will still exist after the incandescent bans since it’s energy efficient. No mercury vapor gas will leak from a Halogena bulb. I don’t know why people don’t admit that mercury is more toxic than lead. In average people’s minds, there’s only 3 dangerous chemicals: nicotine, lead, and asbestos. It’s like you wear a tin foil hat if you think any other toxic substances exist.

By TheEngineer

December 8, 2008 11:55 AM | Link to this

There are places where CF bulbs are good, there are places where CF bulbs are bad and there are places where CF bulbs are actually dangerous.

In some types of fixtures they WILL over heat. I have even seen the base around the glass melted and charred. Depending on the fixture this CAN cause a fire.

If they are used with most dimmers and some types of timers they will either not work, work poorly or cause the dimmer to fail in unpredictable ways that could be dangerous.

Also, the motion sensor lights that really DO save a lot of energy will, in most cases, not work with the CF bulbs. This may actually lead to increased energy consumption.

Legislating technology — especially by those who do not understand it — often leads to disaster. I fully expect that to be the case here with more hazardous waste, and increased risk of fires.

Yes — I really am an engineer.

By No Thanks

December 8, 2008 12:06 PM | Link to this

I hate these new bulbs and went back to my incandescent lighting!!! I replaced all the bulbs in my lamps and my recessed fixtures with these things and I was extremely disappointed by the color and quality of the light. I even had an interior designer advise me, so I purchased the proper bulbs. They made my lovely home look like a glowing eyesore. We IMMEDIATELY put the incandescents back in. I gave them all away - what a waste of money. Who cares about the dollars saved when it makes your carefully appointed home look like trash. I do my “green thing” by recycling. These bulbs are still in their infancy and they have a long way to go (quality and price)before they win folks over. Besides, you practically need a HAZMAT team to come in and clean up if one breaks - LOL.

By No Thanks

December 8, 2008 12:15 PM | Link to this

Good Point CD - I went with the Halogena bulbs in my recessed fixtures and was very happy with them. Incandescents obviously still in the lamps. I tried to use the CF bulbs in the garage and closets and my family HATED them. My daughter even said the color had a negative vibe to her (?). I gave them away after that experiment!

By ConcernedConsumer

December 8, 2008 12:20 PM | Link to this

What consumers are NOT being told about these new light bulbs is that they contain mercury. This makes them VERY hazardous. If you break one, you’ll be exposed to mercury and subject to mercury poisoning. It is also illegal to simply throw one away. You can’t throw them in the landfill with other refuse because it’s considered harzardous waste. You have to take special steps to discard them.

By TheEngineer

December 8, 2008 12:21 PM | Link to this

One more comment:

Congress has passed a law BANNING incandescent bulbs after 2012!

If you don’t want to be forced to use the CF bulbs where they are not appropriate or may even be dangerous you had better start writing your congress critters now!

By kjfitzgerald

December 8, 2008 12:27 PM | Link to this

One of mine has been on almost continuously since 2001 in an outdoor fixture that is protected from rain.

Usually I get 3 or 4 years in normal use. But the quality is inconsistant. Sometimes, they only last a few days. They need better quality control.

All fluorescent lights use mercury, even the old straight kind. Wonder why few people complained about the old ones, but lots more folks are concerned about the mercury in compact fluorescents?

By Customer

December 8, 2008 1:00 PM | Link to this

These new bulbs are simply for hype and selling. I tried a couple and was very unhappy with the quality of light output. Then I read the mercury warning. Do you remember when you were so concerned about lead in paint? That was to hype latex paint. The paint you removed was less toxic than the new bulbs you like so well.

By Lissa

December 8, 2008 1:02 PM | Link to this

We’ve been replacing the bulbs in our house with CF bulbs as the old ones burned out. At this point, I’d say we were at 50% or so. We’ve had absolutely no issues with CF’s, and not one has burned out yet. It wasn’t so much of a cost factor for us as it was a laziness factor - we hate changing the stupid bulbs! We don’t mind paying a little more for a bulb that we have to change less often.

By Eric

December 8, 2008 1:02 PM | Link to this

…as far as banning incandescent bulbs, I don’t know much about that program, however it would be much better for them to heavily tax incandescent bulbs so that they can still be available. CF is not ideal in every location or application, so taxation would be an effective way to encourage people to adopt CF and also allow for consumer choice.

It is in our nation’s best interest (environmentally, politically, millitarily) to reduce our energy consumption so using these bulbs is a patriotic duty. Much of our electricity is still generated from foreign energy sources.

By ron

December 8, 2008 1:14 PM | Link to this

Dear The Engineer @11:55—-I don’t understand your point that cfl”s don’t work with motion detectors and that they can actually cost more money.Can you explain?

By Scott in Raleigh

December 8, 2008 1:15 PM | Link to this

We replaced our recessed (canned) lighting (was 65w, 630 lumens) with Feit Electric CFL’s (15w, 750 lumens) that we bought on sale at Costco. These have excellent light quality and we haven’t had any DOA bulbs. I initially replaced some fixtures with our remaining stock of incandescent and the rest with the CFLs at the same time. The incandescents have long since burned out and the CFLs keep on trucking.

You can easily recoup your investment, particularly on lights that are on for long periods. We have 6 of these lights in the kitchen which produce the same light quality, more lumens, and 1/4 of the wattage.

-Scott

By BillP

December 8, 2008 2:19 PM | Link to this

Actually the poster could save $20 to $30 per month easily.

At 7.7 cents per kilowatt hour (the average in GA0 each 100 watt bulb that burns for 4 hours a day costs$.92 per month in electricity. The same CF bulb will burn for $.12 per month. Take that $.80 per bulb savings and multiply it by the number of bulbs you change. 30 bulbs = $24 a month, 40 bulbs = $32 a month. How many lightbulbs do you have in your house?

By jj

December 8, 2008 2:35 PM | Link to this

I have several of these in my home. I am assuming that I am saving energy. However, has anyone researched the recommended (required?) way to dispose of these? I had one quit after only 5 months, and I remember hearing that you cannot just throw them in the garbage. ?

By kar

December 8, 2008 2:59 PM | Link to this

I’ve also been disapppointed with these new fangled bulbs in that they don’t last as long as the older models.

More irritating though is the almost subliminal hum from the bulbs. Does anyone have any ideas how to eliminate it?

By David in Snellville

December 8, 2008 3:08 PM | Link to this

I love my incandesent light bulbs. I hope never to be forced to change. Except for the closets in my house, most of my light switches are now the dimmer type where I can reduce the glare AND the electricity used. I especially like this feature in the bathrooms, showers, vanity areas, and bedrooms where you just don’t feel like having bright lights in your eyes early in the morning or late at night. I love dimmer switches!!! They are great for creating romantic moods, too. Let’s see you do THAT with those bright energy savers.

By The best light bulb ever

December 8, 2008 3:27 PM | Link to this

The Centennial Light is a four-watt, hand-blown, carbon-filament, common light bulb manufactured in Shelby, Ohio, by the Shelby Electric Company in the late 1890s; many just like it still exist and can be found functioning. The Centennial Light is the world’s longest-lasting light bulb. It is at 4550 East Avenue, Livermore, California, and maintained by the Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Department. The fire department claims that the bulb is at least 107 years old and has been turned off only a handful of times.

This is the light that needs to be copied, very energy efficient and long lasting.

By clyde

December 8, 2008 3:42 PM | Link to this

David from Snellville.——A dimmer is an adjustable resistor placed in parallel with a light bulb.Since the dimmer uses power as well as the bulb you wind up paying more instead of less.All you’re actually reducig is the lumens from the bulb.

By clyde

December 8, 2008 3:57 PM | Link to this

The dimmer-bulb is a series circuit.The cat typed in Parallel because he’d just learned to spell it.Show off.

By Voice of Reason

December 8, 2008 5:19 PM | Link to this

Hi, Hello Voice… [8:24AM] No, I haven’t hoarded anything yet :-). I think when I bought those they were the first time I’d seen 85 watt bulbs; usually 40, 60, 75, 100. And those 85’s were in that socket for two years! Do the new bulbs last that long?

And to Ol Guy, [9:16AM] I am not an idiot. I asked the board to “please advise.” Maybe you are old…and a curmudgeon, cuz I was looking for various viewpoints, which is what is here: Not everyone finds the new bulbs to be a good thing. You must be a good ol’ boy kind of guy—a Sarah Palin voter, perhaps? Because you disagree, you start casting barbs and insults. Grow up, ol guy.There’s still time to be civil toward your fellow man. :-) Ciao!

By sandy

December 13, 2008 10:09 AM | Link to this

I have had energy bulbs since 2001. Still working and my light bill down to $34. in the fall and the spring. I do save energy but because I do The electric company raise my taxes and some thing of a roundup cost hihger, so I am still paying the same. The more the public save on their purse the higher the company adds surcharges, taxes, paper fee, the fee for the use of thier produces. Why is the cost of living so high and our salaries no raise.???

By atlld

December 14, 2008 9:08 PM | Link to this

Clyde is not exactly correct. Modern dimmer switches do not waste the heat that old resistor-type dimmers did. They actually do save money. If you are interested, check out howstuffworks.com.