Energy saving light bulbs...?

[Saitek]

lol - didn't realise you had such aristocratic feelings Paul!  ;D
Yup, Sainsbury's is for the posher folks. I'm just a miserable teenager who lives as a student and so I humbly plonk myself with all the poverty stricken chickens in Aberdeen.  :-/
But I do have some standards - I won't buy their fruit and veg. I have seen more insects and other wildlife on their produce than is in my back garden.

[DaveSims]

Just a reply for the windmill idea, just visit Iowa. We have them all over the place up here, and they are even in FSX.  Of course here the wind is usually blowing 20+ kts, so they work quite well.  Of course there have to be those who fight it, there are some who say the windmills detract from the natural scenery.  ::)  Probably the same people who wanted to save the environment last week.  ::)

[Alonso]

I'd rather buy those bulbs than incandescent bulbs. In the end you'll save more money in your electricity bill! They're everywhere in my house... They're about US$4 dollars each here.

[Chris_F]

Screw the planet.  The real reason (IMO) to use compact flourescents is the electricity savings.  I've estimated that, given my electricity rates, I'm saving about $100 per bulb over the life of the bulb in electricity cost.  I use them extensively and love 'em.  A bonus is that they produce a lot of light for the wattage (duh!) so if you have some fixtures which are max'd out and not providing enough lumens you can pop in a high brightness CF (or multiples) and don't have to worry about overloading the fixture.

My bathroom used to use two 60W incandescents per fixture with two fixtures (4x60W).  This was never enough light.  So I put in four 100W CF replacements (actual wattage is about 30W per bulb) and the bathroom became as bright as the surface of the sun!  Really it was painfully bright, so I removed one each per fixture and now run 2x28W instead of 4x60W and it's much brighter (but not too bright).  I could probably get away with 2x15W if I wanted to go back to the old brightness.

One HUGE advantage: 3AM, you need to pee.  You go in to the bathroom and flip the switch.  A compact flourescent takes some time to get to full brightness so you're not painfully blinded like you are with incandescents.

[Mushroom_Farmer]

[quote]Just a reply for the windmill idea, just visit Iowa. We have them all over the place up here, and they are even in FSX.

[expat]

[quote]Just this minute popped into my local Supermarket to purchase some more bulbs, as standby....

Compared prices:

One Energy Saving light bulb; 100 Watt....

[Hagar]

Fozzer, CharlottesDad has a good point here. Being as you are officially an "old git", you can get them for free.

I think that depends on your circumstances & where you live. I qualify as an old git but get very few free handouts as I own my home & am not on benefit. However, I've recently started using my free bus pass which is a very effective way of conserving energy & saving me real money at the same time. I can travel anywhere I like in Sussex completely free & it's also far less stressful than driving my car & finding somewhere to park in the town centre. This is possible due to the excellent bus service in my part of the world. Don't knock public transport unless you've tried it.*

People keep telling me how I can save loads of money on things like these energy-saving light bulbs. I've lived alone for many years & use far less energy resources than the families next door. Despite being very careful with heating & lighting my fuel costs keep going up. This is mainly due to the huge increase in electricity & gas prices, much of which seems to go straight into the pockets of the management.

I will soon be able to use my free bus pass to travel anywhere in the country. 8-) http://www.gnn.gov.uk/environment/fullDetail.asp?ReleaseID=192218&NewsAreaID=2&NavigatedFromDepartment=False

PS. Has anyone done a survey on how much electricity the average PC uses? What about TV sets on standby? From what I can make out many people seem to leave them constantly switched on whether they're using them or not. I'm sure this costs far more than any saving on light bulbs.

[ozzy72]

Well we've been using them for a couple of years and I have to say the initial cost was off-putting. However none of them have blown in over 2 years and the difference in your electricity bill is noticable. So yup they do pay for themselves!
Of course a little common sense can also make a big difference. Things like not leaving electrical things on standby, switching off lights when you leave the room etc etc can all make significant savings

[expat]

Fozzer, CharlottesDad has a good point here. Being as you are officially an "old git", you can get them for free.

PS. Has anyone done a survey on how much electricity the average PC uses? What about TV sets on standby? From what I can make out many people seem to leave them constantly switched on whether they're using them or not. I'm sure this costs far more than any saving on light bulbs.

Here in Germany it is possible to be loaned by the Electricity People a small box that plugs in between the mains and the appliance so you can calculate your usage, or, for example if you think that your freezer is beginning to use too much and needs to be replaced with something more economical, you can test if first. I tested all the stuff that has a standby mode. TV, stereo, video, DVD, DVD recorder, surround sound and computer just to name a few. What did I find out? I found out I was happier not knowing Which then makes me ask, why the F#&% do these bits of kit not have a battery back up that will hold the settings for a two weeks (the length of the average holiday) or so. The power it takes to hold a volatile memory must be peanuts. Also to use said battery to turn the power on to start a video recorder running would also require minimal power and if we can do that, then the same system could turn the appliance on to charge the battery for a few hours and then turn off, thus eliminating the need to have a battery that would last two weeks. After all it is not cars and aircraft that are the main polluters of this world, it is power stations. It boggles the mind to think how much power we are using when we are not using something

Matt

[Fozzer]

Fozzer, CharlottesDad has a good point here. Being as you are officially an "old git", you can get them for free.

I think that depends on your circumstances & where you live. I qualify as an old git but get very few free handouts as I own my home & am not on benefit. However, I've recently started using my free bus pass which is a very effective way of conserving energy & saving me real money at the same time. I can travel anywhere I like in Sussex completely free & it's also far less stressful than driving my car & finding somewhere to park in the town centre. This is possible due to the excellent bus service in my part of the world. Don't knock public transport unless you've tried it.*


I will soon be able to use my free bus pass to travel anywhere in the country. 8-) http://www.gnn.gov.uk/environment/fullDetail.asp?ReleaseID=192218&NewsAreaID=2&NavigatedFromDepartment=False

Have you noticed that we "Oldies" have to wait for between one and ten years for these amazing schemes to become effective....>>>>

"From April 2008, over 11 million older and disabled people in England will now be able to take advantage of free off-peak bus travel in every area of the country.

"Whether using the bus locally, or when visiting other parts of the country, today's announcement means older and disabled people can travel for free. More freedom and more choice for millions of people."

..during which time most of us will have died off without the benefit of these amazing schemes... ...!

Paul...getting "Older" by the minute... ...!!

P.S. My free 'Bus pass never guarantees that my 'Bus will turn up just when I need it... ...!

[expat]

Just be thankful that His Tonyness lets you travel for free Fozzer. After all, you live in a country that makes blind people pay for a TV licence

Matt

[ATI_7500]

Which then makes me ask, why the F#&% do these bits of kit not have a battery back up that will hold the settings for a two weeks (the length of the average holiday) or so.

There *is* a solution to that. It's the good old multiway connector (or however it's called) equipped with a simple switch.

Just put it between the device and the electrical outlet, flick the switch et voil

[dcunning30]

[quote]Just a reply for the windmill idea, just visit Iowa. We have them all over the place up here, and they are even in FSX.

[dcunning30]

PS. Has anyone done a survey on how much electricity the average PC uses? What about TV sets on standby? From what I can make out many people seem to leave them constantly switched on whether they're using them or not. I'm sure this costs far more than any saving on light bulbs.

Excellent question.  Think about all the appliances and devices around the house that keeps time, programming, and can be switched on by a remote.  All that stuff is using electricity, even when turned off.  Just like water heaters using gas when not in use.  For my next house, I'm getting a tankless water heater.  Actually, I may deal with the hassle and install one in my current house.

[stuart1044]

Never used one of these bulbs myself, however, my late grandma had them in her flat, and in my opinoin they give of a dullish light as apposed to normal bulbs.  Also they take a while to become fully 'on' (so to speak).

My conclusion, stick with the normal bulbs, there only cheap

Skint Student Stuart