Energy saving bulbs

Energy saving bulbs can be very expensive.
Does anyone know anywhere they're reasonably priced? Major supermarket chains? Atlantic? Woodies? Builders providers? Independent hardware stores?
We're talking about six or ten.
The benefit of your eyes and ears on this would be great.

See .

Maplin are currently doing offers on long CFLs (11W 4 pack for €9.99 reduced from €16.49) and "spiral" CFLs (11W 4 pack €16.49 reduce from €24.99) in case that's of any interest to anybody.

Check the life time in hours. Printed on the pack. The spiral ones got a very bad rating from the Swiss consumers organisation.
Test report see [broken link removed]
Winner (price-performance) was IKEA standard.
Best note for Ikea standard, Osram deluxe EL longlife, Osram duluxe EL facility, Osram duluxe Classic A.
Second best: Ikea Globe, Philips Ecotone PL-T Pro, Osram Duluxe EL Economy, Sunlux Standard, Philips Ecotone Economy, Swisslights Half-Spot M.
Third place ( and not recommended mainly due to failed lifetime):Nover Nosec E,Swisslights Globe M(Microlight AG), Sunlux Ambiente, Sylvania Mini-Lynx Economy.
Test results were released in 8/2003.

Recently got Nov bill from ESB and enclosed was a leaflet about upcoming promotion for 1/2 price CFL's that will run late Nov until end 2005

soy said:

Recently got Nov bill from ESB and enclosed was a leaflet about upcoming promotion for 1/2 price CFL's that will run late Nov until end 2005

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But where can one buy these bulbs on promotion? Aren't all the ESB stores closed?

Very useful advice everyone. I might be near a Maplins this week and will check them out. Thanks again.

Hi ,
After checking around at prices ,I got energy saving bulbs in Dunnes stores in Cornelscourt .
A 100Watt energy saving bulb that looks similar to an ordinary bulb is €5.99

The same bulb costs €6.95 in PowerCity in Sallynoggin and €9.99 in Tescos in Ballybrack


A 100 watt energy saving bulb that doesn't look like an ordinary bulb is €4.99 in Dunnes in Cornelscourt

I'm still dubious about the benefit of these energy saving bulbs in many cases. After all lighting costs will generally be a tiny fraction of the overall electricity costs of a premises (household or business). I reckon that, on a cost benefit basis, the money could be better spend addressing other energy efficiency issues. It's amazing the number of people who will go out and spend up to a tenner on an energy saving lightbulb and happily sit back assuming that they are saving the earth and money at the same time while elsewhere they have, for example, no lagging jacket on their immersion tank or no insulation in their attic.

The ESB thing said that it was a promotion at various retailers though there is no sign of anything on their website as to who these retailers are. It was for GE and Phillips bulbs and they were being advertised at about 5 euro. So maybe that is what Dunnes are selling???

I agree with Clubman and they look so awful. they start to fade when they wear out. Make more serious savings elesewhere - get a composter etc etc

Re: Energy saving bulbs 30-40% electricity savings are achieved when using cfl lamps. Unless one is so "wise" and heats the premise with electricity. Check the SEI page.
Composting can turn out expensive if one doesn't consume the products growing on the compost. Most households are not growing edible products with the aid of their compost. Ireland still isn't implementing the EU water protection bill , dumps of organic material will detoriate the water quality because leachings will eventually pollute it. 30% of all households have to consume filthy water already (the highest rate in the EU) due to nutrients leaching into the water. And the gouvernment has to spend millions of taxes on upgrading only the worst cases.

heinbloed said:

Re: Energy saving bulbs 30-40% electricity savings are achieved when using cfl lamps. Unless one is so "wise" and heats the premise with electricity.

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I find it hard to believe that an average household is not heated primarily by electricity can save 30-40% on their bills by simply using CFLs. Perhaps you can link to the specific page to which you are referring above please because I could not find it.

Composting can turn out expensive if one doesn't consume the products growing on the compost.

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Why?

Well, my own bill shows that 30-40% savings can be achieved. I replaced all tungsten bulbs ( realy, all bulbs) and saved around that number, dependending on the season. I must add that the domestic hot water in my home is nor coupled to electricity, except for the pump, which is another sort of heating.
Composting in the common sense means nothing else but dumping to-be-released nutrients in the back garden.These nutrients will -sooner or later- end up in the well/river/lake on which the private/common well depends on. Once the limits have been met the search is up for a new source.That costs money.
Growing something edible with the aid of the composted nutrients (which would end up in the loo) is a different thing-unless one has the well next to the septic tank.Think big.
Dumping rubbish in the garden can work out cheap once it is sure that others bear the future costs.

heinbloed said:

Well, my own bill shows that 30-40% savings can be achieved. I replaced all tungsten bulbs ( realy, all bulbs) and saved around that number

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I thought that you were referring to some information on the SEI site above which explained the 30-40% saving. I take it that you were not and that this was just your own particular saving?

I must add that the domestic hot water in my home is nor coupled to electricity, except for the pump, which is another sort of heating.

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Out of interest how do you heat your water and the house?

Composting in the common sense means nothing else but dumping to-be-released nutrients in the back garden.These nutrients will -sooner or later- end up in the well/river/lake on which the private/common well depends on. Once the limits have been met the search is up for a new source.That costs money.

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So composting is no better than landfill?

Growing something edible with the aid of the composted nutrients (which would end up in the loo) is a different thing-unless one has the well next to the septic tank.

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I don't understand the second part about the well and the septic tank - maybe you can explain?

Think big.

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I thougth that the catchphrase was "think global, act local" and that composting and the like was to be encouraged?

Dumping rubbish in the garden can work out cheap once it is sure that others bear the future costs.

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Composting is not the same as dumping rubbish in the garden. After all what about all the creepy crawlies and microbes that break down the composted material? You might as well blame earthworms and woodlice for our pollution problems the way you are arguing matters here as far as I can see.

Now, before ending up in a long detailed discussion-I like those- I have to tell you that my experience is the stated. Over the entire year I save around 35 % of electric energy by using CFL bulbs. The exact number depends on if I take my hollydays in winter or summer.
The SEI page gives a similar information- logical.These numbers are similar to the rest of the world. The composting debate was fought by all economists around the world since the existence of an econimical thinking of early mankind: if you don't need it don't create it.Or in other words:why should a farmer throw fertiliser into the well ?!
Dumping rubbish is the same as composting as long as there is no use for the compost, may be I didn't make that clear enough ?!
If you grow the food/material that you need with the aims that you have freely available than you are working for the benefit of yourself and your community. But if you dump these aims then you're dumping your future in this place. Nomads live this way, or "travellers" as they are called here. In a few years it might bear fruit- or not. We'll see and settle accordingly....

heinbloed said:

Dumping rubbish is the same as composting as long as there is no use for the compost, may be I didn't make that clear enough ?!

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No - you spoke specifically about growing edible plants with it. Many gardeners use it to grow flowers etc. for show. Are you saying that this use of it is undesirable?

Anyway, back to my original point - even if you saved up to 40% of your electricity costs by using energy saving lightbulbs I hardly think that this would be representative and applicable to most people. I reckon that most people would gain more return for lower cost by attending to other issues with their houses (e.g. attic insulation, immersion insulation, draughty doors/windows, better thermostatic control of heating, energy efficient appliance etc.). Of course, once they had attended to the big things then they can probably squeeze even further savings by attending to things like efficient lighting etc.

I'm still curious as to how you heat your home/water if energy efficient lighting yields a 40% saving on your electricity costs. A more comprehensive analysis of this issue would probably involve calculating the "carbon footprint" for your home and comparing it to others. Taking the electricity costs in isolation may be skewing things a bit?

Can anyone tell me if they have come across anywhere selling energy saving down lighers ? I have been told they do exist but haven't seen them anywhere

I believe the new technology in this area is LED, but the lamps are very expensive and give out little light apparently.

agencydude said:

A 100Watt energy saving bulb that looks similar to an ordinary bulb is €5.99

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I got one of these 20W bulbs (soft tone, light output similar to 100W tungsten) and have to say its pretty good. I find them great for hall, landing etc where they remain lit for hours every night.

To paddyc: Ikea sells energy saving down lighters(around 5€, with a small screw fitting), but check the homepage of the manufacturers as well (Phillips,Osram etc.).
And to Clubman:
As long as nutrients are thrown into the garden they are either absorbed by the growing plants or they are leached into the ground water table.Only nitrogen would go into the air under certain circumstances. But plants don't grow all the time, in winter for example they simply stop. And when they have reached maturity they die as well, releasing the nutrients again. So sooner or later all compost receiving gardens become ground water polluters. Unless one eats the growing products or makes toilet articles from them (paper, soap etc.) . Than the nutrients would end up in the sewer instead, feeding the fish and so be recycled into natures food chain. Without effecting the ground water.
Farmers using sewage sludge from the sewage treatment plant do that to
replace mineral fertilizer. If done so by competent farmers it would benefit the environment by saving the energy for the artificial fertilizer.
What did you mean exactly with the phrase "composting and the like"?
CFLs?
Now, my percentage numbers on saving electricity are beeing confirmed not only by the SEI but also by most civil engeneers , by the ESB (!) , the Bank managers of Ireland (have you seen a bank foyer with out CFLs?) and by most shop/supermarket managers.
That is of course -we speak about percentages- if you use the electricity not for heating the home,the ratio would be a different one. Nevertheless a considerable saving is achived by using them.
You wanted to know how I heat my home. I use a modulating combi condensing boiler.So the circulation pump and the electric circuits in the boiler as well as the room thermostats combined with automatic valves at the heating circuits are the only electricity users for heating and warm tap water. All together not more than 0.13 kw/h, similar to one or two tungsten bulbs, if on full demand. But the boiler allows also for warm tap water with out the heating beeing turned on, using than 0.035kw/h of electricity. Similar to a weak tungsten bulb.
I hope that shed some light.