Anyone Know About Electric/New Energy Saving Bulbs?

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Discussion Overview

The thread discusses experiences and opinions regarding the use of energy-saving spiral fluorescent bulbs compared to traditional incandescent bulbs. Participants share their thoughts on bulb brightness, energy consumption, and the impact on utility bills.

Discussion Character

  • Anecdotal
  • Opinion-based

Main Points Raised

  • One participant is transitioning to energy-saving bulbs and questions if they can use higher wattage bulbs due to lower heat output.
  • Another participant mentions that their fixture is rated for the current the bulb draws and suggests using brighter compact fluorescent bulbs.
  • Several users note that energy-saving bulbs take time to reach full brightness, which some find preferable in certain situations.
  • One participant shares that they have not noticed a difference in their utility bill despite switching to energy-saving bulbs.
  • Another participant mentions that while the bulbs are more expensive upfront, they may save money in the long run due to their longevity.
  • One participant expresses concern about multiple bulbs burning out within a short period, questioning if it relates to wattage or usage frequency.
  • Several participants discuss their experiences with electric bills, with some noting high costs and others expressing surprise at their neighbors' lower bills.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Views differ regarding the impact of energy-saving bulbs on utility bills, with some participants not noticing a change while others suggest potential long-term savings. There is no clear consensus on the effectiveness of these bulbs in reducing costs.

Contextual Notes

Participants share personal experiences with energy-saving bulbs in various fixtures and settings, highlighting individual circumstances that may affect their views on energy consumption and bulb performance.

Who May Find This Useful

Consultants considering a switch to energy-saving bulbs or those interested in the practical experiences of others regarding lighting options may find this discussion relevant.

KellyTheChef
KellyTheChef
Gold Member
Messages
7,533
I am trying to slowly change over all of our regular light bulbs to those energy saving "spiral flourescent" bulbs. If, say, my kitchen light says I can use up to 60 watt bulbs in it, since the flourescent ones use soooo much less watts, can I go up to one that puts off the same light as a 75 or 100 watt regular bulb? I am assuming that the max bulb allowed is based on the heat that it puts off...therefore the flourescent ones (which don't get anything near as hot as a regular bulb) in a higher light output would be OK?

EX: 60 watt bulb uses 60 watts of energy
100 watt energy smart bulb uses 26 watts of energy

Any electricians out there?

Thanks if you can help!
 
Your fixture is rated for the current the bulb draws or heat it can stand. So you can go ahead and put in a brighter compact flourescent. :)

DH and I have them in several fixtures in the house and the only complaint I have is that they take a second to come on fully. It's not a big issue, but can be a little unnerving at first.

They carry these at warehouse clubs in multi-packs - a great way to save money on them, since they're more than conventional incandescent bulbs.
 
kelly, you knew ann would have an swer didn't you? lol
 
Gina: phhhbbtt :p
 
I second what Ann says about taking a bit for them to be fully bright, I kinda liked that in the bathroom first thing in the mornng cause it doesn't blind you.

But I can't say that I have honestly seen a difference in our utility bill. They aren't cheap to buy but the also supposedly last a lot longer so maybe in the long long run they are cheaper.
 
I'm with Abey I have not noticed a difference in our utility bill BUT it also changes month to month on how much the heat/air is running.

I also got mine in a multi pack at a warehouse club.
 
You could...many have without issues as long as it physically fits. An energy saving bulb uses less power, but it also gives you less light...but if you increase the wattage, you aren't saving any money.

The 60 or 100W limit for your lamp indicates the maximum safe power useable in that lamp from a fire hazard situation (temperature-wise). (Consider power vs. amount of light in this situation).
 
Sure, I'm typing up my answer and you guys are already chatting away. ;) I must be slow today!
 
Now if you want some trivia, the world's largest lightbulb either resides at MSOE in Milwaukee, WI or in Menlo Park, NJ. It depends on your definition of "light bulb".

The one is NJ is constucted of 153 individual pieces of glass, whereas the one at MSOE is truly a single piece of glass that is a lightbulb...

I'm partial to the MSOE one...
 
My parents are in the process of switching all of theirs over. To my knowledge they have not noticed a change in their bills but they have not had to buy bulbs all the time like with the old ones, so, in the long run they are saving that way.

I have been considering switching myself b/c I am all the time having to buy new bulbs. And we just had our hosue re-wired last year so it is now not b/c of our wiring.
 
janetupnorth said:
Now if you want some trivia, the world's largest lightbulb either resides at MSOE in Milwaukee, WI or in Menlo Park, NJ. It depends on your definition of "light bulb".

The one is NJ is constucted of 153 individual pieces of glass, whereas the one at MSOE is truly a single piece of glass that is a lightbulb...

I'm partial to the MSOE one...
Click to expand...

I'm with you on that one!
 
We have the spiraly ones in our kitchen and I have to agree - it's weird how they light up kinda slowly - but we've gotten used to them. I have't seen a difference in our power bill...but we only have a few of them. Little by little we're switching over.
 
we switched all of ours last fall 12 in recessed lights in living room and 7 in kitchen
my living room ceiling is 22 feet high so before switching DH would almost let us sit by candlelight we had to have a few out for it to be worth his effort. they have burnt out, just not as often I "thought" they were to last 5 years.....
My electric bill?? have not noticed a change except the month it was only $400 DH was so excited until my neighbor told him it was a mistake it was only calculated for 10 days.
 
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  • #14
Yeah...at first every time I would go to turn the light on, my first thought was...Darn! Lightbulb is out! Then I would realize that it just takes a second for them to come on...and a minute for them to come up to full light output!

I really am thinking that you don't really see the difference in the electric bill so much month to month...more that you save $$ in the long run on electricity, and $$ going towards bulbs over the LIFE of the bulb.

My concern, and reason for posting this question is that I have had several (4or 5 maybe) burn out since I started using them about 6 months ago. The package (GE Brand?) says they last for a minimum of 5 years! So, I was thinking they were blowing out cuz I was using too high of a wattage...which doesn't make sense when they use so much LESS wattage! But, they are the lights in my bathroom and kitchen that get turned on and off lots of times each day...so maybe that's it. (Or, since I bought them at WalMart, perhaps their stock people are throwing them around the store before they put them on the shelves! LOL)
 
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  • #15
Teresa Lynn said:
we switched all of ours last fall 12 in recessed lights in living room and 7 in kitchen
my living room ceiling is 22 feet high so before switching DH would almost let us sit by candlelight we had to have a few out for it to be worth his effort. they have burnt out, just not as often I "thought" they were to last 5 years.....
My electric bill?? have not noticed a change except the month it was only $400 DH was so excited until my neighbor told him it was a mistake it was only calculated for 10 days.
Click to expand...

What the heck???

How much is your electric bill normally?!?!?

I would DIE if ours was $400...let alone 3 times that much!
 
we're ecstatic when we keep it under $1,000 in the summer we have had them at $1,250.
All our neighbors water bills are under $30 mine hovers at $100
 
KellyTheChef said:
Yeah...at first every time I would go to turn the light on, my first thought was...Darn! Lightbulb is out! Then I would realize that it just takes a second for them to come on...and a minute for them to come up to full light output!

I really am thinking that you don't really see the difference in the electric bill so much month to month...more that you save $$ in the long run on electricity, and $$ going towards bulbs over the LIFE of the bulb.

My concern, and reason for posting this question is that I have had several (4or 5 maybe) burn out since I started using them about 6 months ago. The package (GE Brand?) says they last for a minimum of 5 years! So, I was thinking they were blowing out cuz I was using too high of a wattage...which doesn't make sense when they use so much LESS wattage! But, they are the lights in my bathroom and kitchen that get turned on and off lots of times each day...so maybe that's it. (Or, since I bought them at WalMart, perhaps their stock people are throwing them around the store before they put them on the shelves! LOL)
Click to expand...


Kelly - save your receipt and packaging - if they burn out before then, you can return them!
 
Teresa Lynn said:
we're ecstatic when we keep it under $1,000 in the summer we have had them at $1,250.
All our neighbors water bills are under $30 mine hovers at $100
Click to expand...


:eek: GASP! :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

I think I'd have a heart attack! It takes my DH 2 months to make that much money!
 
KellyTheChef said:
I am trying to slowly change over all of our regular light bulbs to those energy saving "spiral flourescent" bulbs. If, say, my kitchen light says I can use up to 60 watt bulbs in it, since the flourescent ones use soooo much less watts, can I go up to one that puts off the same light as a 75 or 100 watt regular bulb? I am assuming that the max bulb allowed is based on the heat that it puts off...therefore the flourescent ones (which don't get anything near as hot as a regular bulb) in a higher light output would be OK?

EX: 60 watt bulb uses 60 watts of energy
100 watt energy smart bulb uses 26 watts of energy

Any electricians out there?

Thanks if you can help!
Click to expand...

Ok, this just struck me as kind of funny suddenly...I would LOVE to know if any woman on this forum really is a licensed electrician! (I only pretend to play one at home...Ann is married to an electrical engineer but I don't know of any electrician/PC consultants).
 
Teresa Lynn said:
we're ecstatic when we keep it under $1,000 in the summer we have had them at $1,250.
All our neighbors water bills are under $30 mine hovers at $100
Click to expand...


That is a huge electric bill I cringe when I open mine. Our water on the other hand is 75 a month and it keeps going up. No one is metered here in our area.:grumpy:
 
We have been gradual switching over to CFL's. One thing I noticed is they last for a really long time! We used to have to switch the lightbulb in our garage every other week or so and we haven't had to change them over once since we switched and it was awhile ago!
One thing I did see on the news that you might want to beware of is if they break. You need to take extra precautions on how you handle anddispose of the lightbulb. I cannot remember all the details (but I'm sure you could find it somewhere on the web). I do remember that you should wear gloves, you should not vacuum up the glass and you have to put them in a separate bag to dispose of them.
 
Teresa Lynn said:
we're ecstatic when we keep it under $1,000 in the summer we have had them at $1,250.
All our neighbors water bills are under $30 mine hovers at $100
Click to expand...

And I about had a heart attack when ours was $261 last month!!:D :eek:
 
If it were up to my husband and sons we would live like moles. never open the blinds or turn on lights my daughter and I are the opposite. Open the blinds (I know it heats the house up, don't care I want to see out) 7 tun on the lights sometimes i', lazy like this morning I've been up since 3:30 and turned on all the downstairs lights, just realized they are still on.
When I'm home alone I don't like quiet so I have the radio or tv on in my office, living room and kitchen.
As far as water I run my DW 2 x 3 times a day, do laundry every day & all of our showers, watering (we live on 2 + acres) plants and and pool refilling
 
I have been using these things for 4 yrs steady. I am still waiting to see some savings. It seems as though every time we do something to save energy (i.e energy efficient windows, tankless water heater, energy star fridge, energy star lighting, etc) our bill increases. Go figure!

FYI by the year 2009 there are to be no more incandescent light bulbs on store shelves so either start stocking up or be prepared to buy all new lighting.
 
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  • #25
yummy4tummy said:
I have been using these things for 4 yrs steady. I am still waiting to see some savings. It seems as though every time we do something to save energy (i.e energy efficient windows, tankless water heater, energy star fridge, energy star lighting, etc) our bill increases. Go figure!

FYI by the year 2009 there are to be no more incandescent light bulbs on store shelves so either start stocking up or be prepared to buy all new lighting.
Click to expand...

How come I have not heard of this? Country wide? And not to sound dumb, but the incandescent bulbs are the "normal" ones we all grew up with...right?
 
We have them in some of our lights. They do take a little getting used to as they take a few minutes to get bright, which is annoying.
 
How come I have not heard of this? Country wide? And not to sound dumb, but the incandescent bulbs are the "normal" ones we all grew up with...right?
Click to expand...

Nation wide as per Home Depot, Walmart and Lowe's lighting department. I also asked my local electric company to verify and they concurred. Yes, the "normal" bulbs are incandescent.
 
I had replaced the lightbulbs in the livingroom and bathrooms, as those are the lights that are on the most and for the longest period of time. I did notice our bill dropped about $3, which doesn't seem like much, but over a period of time it all adds up. Our utility company also offers a free home inspection and recommends steps to take to help keep your energy costs down. We implemented about half of what they recommended and saw a significant drop in our bill, but then they raised the energy rates. I think the thing that helped the most was putting special hinges on the doors to close them automatically. The kids never remembered to shut the door to the laundry room, which is really cold in the winter.
 
KellyTheChef said:
I am trying to slowly change over all of our regular light bulbs to those energy saving "spiral flourescent" bulbs. If, say, my kitchen light says I can use up to 60 watt bulbs in it, since the flourescent ones use soooo much less watts, can I go up to one that puts off the same light as a 75 or 100 watt regular bulb? I am assuming that the max bulb allowed is based on the heat that it puts off...therefore the flourescent ones (which don't get anything near as hot as a regular bulb) in a higher light output would be OK?

EX: 60 watt bulb uses 60 watts of energy
100 watt energy smart bulb uses 26 watts of energy

Any electricians out there?

Thanks if you can help!
Click to expand...

The reason for the wattage rating is for heat control (can cause dried wires which crack and can catch on fire) Yes, you could do it but you may find that the larger watt bulb may be too big for some fixtures.. and they can't be used with dimmers, you would have to purchase a special dimmer and it is quite pricey
 
Carissidy said:
The reason for the wattage rating is for heat control (can cause dried wires which crack and can catch on fire) Yes, you could do it but you may find that the larger watt bulb may be too big for some fixtures.. and they can't be used with dimmers, you would have to purchase a special dimmer and it is quite pricey
Click to expand...

Do you know an electrician or something? LOL ;)
 
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