Light bulbs

[SOUTHERN_BOY]

This is my first post, and okay, it isn't very political. Or maybe it is. I get a reimbursement check for coursework today and was thinking of buying those curly lightbulbs for my house. What I want to know is whether or not they will save ME money.

What is your experience, anybody who has switched over? Can you see a difference in the light bill?

[RevCheesehead]

Hi, and welcome to DU!

Since I don't pay my own electric bill (the church does), I have no idea. But I can tell you that they last significantly longer than regular bulbs.

:hi:

[unpossibles]

1. well, the ones I replaced a long time ago

are still working, so they're cheaper than buying three bulbs in the same amount of time. Haven't looked at the electric bill for a while (we pay on line), but I imagine the savings are there as well.

[Tyler Durden]

2. Long term...Yep.

buy the cheap ones...they aren't any worse than the pricey ones. Replace your worst offenders first.

[Fierce]

3. If you like buying things made in China, go for it!

nt.

[SOUTHERN_BOY]

5. They don't have any made over here?

And where are the regular ones made? I sure am ignorant on this subject!

[Fierce]

16. Just found this...

http://www.lightsofamerica.com/gpb.htm

[Canuckistanian]

7. Get real

Walk into any store. Try to find ANYTHING

NOT

made in China.

[Fierce]

17. Actually, when you decide not to buy stuff made in China,

...you tend to find things that aren't made in China. And when you decide to look around a little bit, you tend to find things like this:

http://www.lightsofamerica.com/gpb.htm

http://www.lightsofamerica.com/usmade.htm

It takes time and effort. But for me, it's worth it.

[sabbat hunter]

4. make sure though

to get the ones labeled soft white bulbs. that way you get the same light as a incadescent bulb.

[bullimiami]

6. ive found them at home depot for less than 8$ for a pack of 4.

thats pretty cheap.
im changing over as bulbs burn out.

i dont think the difference will be enough to be noticable on your electric bill but besides using less electricity and generating less heat they last much longer so its really a win win win especially if you get them at a reasonable price.

the color of the light, which used to be an issue, seems to have really improved as well. I dont really notice the difference. they just arent stark like old flourescent tubes and the ones I have are just cheap ones.

[glowing]

8. And when they do go out, don't through them away int he garbage

they are hazardous waste... the last thing we need is more mercury polluting our land than we already have.

[greenman3610]

9. Wal Mart is readying a recycle plan

and new bulbs will use less mercury.

Important to know: Using one of these bulbs for its lifetime means you
will avoid the burning of coal that would add as much as 13 mg of mercury to
the environment, vs 1 to 3 mg contained in the bulb.
By the time the bulb is failing, recycle programs will be well
underway.

btw, the next gen light bulbs will be LED, even
more efficient, and, to my knowledge, contain no
toxics.

[NYC]

10. I have not seen a difference in the electric bill,

but they do burn cooler, which is good.

I used 18 watt fluorescent bulbs to replace 40 and 60 watt incandescent bulbs. I never noticed any difference in the electric bill.

[Justyce]

11. Yes, a 60-75 watt equivalent

only uses about 13 watts I believe, so if you replace several bulbs... well, it's too early for me to attempt math ;) I've replaced nearly all of my bulbs including my outdoor lights, and I can see a difference on my electric bill, but I also work from home & my daughter is now homeschooled, so we are here all the time using the lights. They also last waaaaaay longer -- I think it's definitely worth it.

[durrrty libby]

12. My family has been using them for more than 2 years

My local Lowes has a large variety of type and prices

My electric bill has gone down at least $10.00 a month

Sometimes it is down much more but I don't know exactly why


Talk to a salesperson in the store. They know more than you might think
and they know what they sell a lot of

I also tried some cheap ones from a Flea Market for a dollar and they
just didn't last

Good Luck

[uberllama42]

13. The European Union has banned incandescent bulbs

That makes sense to me- the choice seems pretty easy. Of course, the government takes on a responsibility to properly recycle flourescent bulbs.

Welcome to DU, by the way.

[Flatulo]

14. This just in: Regular bulbs made in China too!

The curly bulbs do save money, you just may not notice it as much because lighting is probably a low percentage of your overall usage.

I have replaced every last incandescent with the compact flourescent. They used to take a few minutes to achieve full brighness, but the newer ones come up pretty quickly.

[LiberalHeart]

15. A word of advice...

If you detest, as I do, that blue/white light many of the curly bulbs give off, go for the kind with a temperature listing of 2700K. It'll look more like the light produced by the old bulbs.