I wrote this for several newspapers just five years after the first energy saving bulb became available in America, but unfortunately the lessons and facts took over twenty-five years to get popular.
Bill Lauto , GTG
Environmental Scientist
International Sustainability and Energy Consultant
Contribute your comments!
Phillip's SL-18 Bulb When it comes to giving your thoughts to various items in your home, the light bulb falls right to the bottom of that list. It is true that, when they burnout they tend to raise an aggravated thought or two, but that is about it.
Over the past five years the design and technology for light bulbs, along with lighting in general has changed so dramatically that it would not only be financially rewarding, but also tremendously convenient to spend some time reviewing your home's lighting. The odds are that the majority of your home's lights, inside and out are still incandescent. That is to say, they are the normal everyday light bulbs and spot lights you find on the supermarket shelves. These incandescent lights not only have the shortest life span available (average light bulb 750 hours, average outside spot light 2,000 hours), but they are also the most inefficient and expensive to operate. However, the biggest tease about incandescent light bulbs is that all of them can lose up to 45% of their light level with age! I am sure most of you have experienced the fact that when you replaced a burned out bulb with a new one of the same wattage it was much brighter than the bulb that just blew out. That is because if you have a one-hundred watt bulb on twelve hours a day in about one month it could be giving you only fifty-five watts of light and you are still paying for a hundred watts of electricity! In about two more months that bulb will burn out.
Northeast coast power companies place at least 15% of the homeowner's electric bill toward their lights. There is no sound reason why your lights should cost that much when there are new types of light bulbs now available to reduce the homeowner's electrical lighting bill by 70% or more. These new bulbs have longer life, less heat, better light color, and only about a 10% light level lost with age. Also when replaced correctly there is no sacrifice to your present light levels, only a lower electric bill. An 18 watt high-tech fluorescent light bulb will give off 75 watts of light and fit directly into a standard socket. This newest electronic fluorescent bulb, that gives off the same light color as incandescent bulbs, comes on without blinking and saves about $50.00 net profit in certain areas of our country.
So next time a light bulb burns out in your house, instead of changing that bulb with the same old routine, look into buying one of tomorrow's light bulbs today. Waiting for tomorrow may be too late.
Updated Blog Post - Article to EnergyHotwire.com to GoingTrueGreen.com Blog
Bill Lauto, at GoingTrueGreen.com
Environmental Scientist
International Sustainability and Energy Consultant
Contribute your comments!
Over the past five years the design and technology for light bulbs, along with lighting in general has changed so dramatically that it would not only be financially rewarding, but also tremendously convenient to spend some time reviewing your home's lighting. The odds are that the majority of your home's lights, inside and out are still incandescent. That is to say, they are the normal everyday light bulbs and spot lights you find on the supermarket shelves. These incandescent lights not only have the shortest life span available (average light bulb 750 hours, average outside spot light 2,000 hours), but they are also the most inefficient and expensive to operate. However, the biggest tease about incandescent light bulbs is that all of them can lose up to 45% of their light level with age! I am sure most of you have experienced the fact that when you replaced a burned out bulb with a new one of the same wattage it was much brighter than the bulb that just blew out. That is because if you have a one-hundred watt bulb on twelve hours a day in about one month it could be giving you only fifty-five watts of light and you are still paying for a hundred watts of electricity! In about two more months that bulb will burn out.
Northeast coast power companies place at least 15% of the homeowner's electric bill toward their lights. There is no sound reason why your lights should cost that much when there are new types of light bulbs now available to reduce the homeowner's electrical lighting bill by 70% or more. These new bulbs have longer life, less heat, better light color, and only about a 10% light level lost with age. Also when replaced correctly there is no sacrifice to your present light levels, only a lower electric bill. An 18 watt high-tech fluorescent light bulb will give off 75 watts of light and fit directly into a standard socket. This newest electronic fluorescent bulb, that gives off the same light color as incandescent bulbs, comes on without blinking and saves about $50.00 net profit in certain areas of our country.
So next time a light bulb burns out in your house, instead of changing that bulb with the same old routine, look into buying one of tomorrow's light bulbs today. Waiting for tomorrow may be too late.
Updated Blog Post - Article to EnergyHotwire.com to GoingTrueGreen.com Blog
Bill Lauto, at GoingTrueGreen.com
Environmental Scientist
International Sustainability and Energy Consultant
Contribute your comments!
