One of the light bulbs in my room blew yesterday, so I decided to go out and replace it with a compact flourescent light bulb (CFL), instead of the usual incandescent light bulb. As you can see from the packaging below, these bulbs use 20% of the amount of electricity that an ordinary incandescent bulb uses.
Quite often when I make this suggestion to people they tell me that they would do it, but they have to change all of the light fittings in their house. Not true, these bulbs are available with the exact same fitting as normal bulbs (bayonet or screw).
Another thing people sometimes say is that the quality of the light is not the same. Again, I think this is probably a bit of an urban legend. As you can see on the packaging, you can get a direct comparison by looking at the ‘lumen’ measurement of the bulb. This one provides the same light as a 75W incandescent bulb.
And finally, of course, some people are put off by the extra cost of these bulbs. And it is true, they are about 3 times as expensive as an incandescent bulb. However, you have to keep in mind that they last 6 times as long!
So if you’re looking for affordable ways to cut down on your electricity consumption, start by replacing your incandescent bulbs with compact flourescent bulbs.
Ed.
Solar Science is a supplier and installer of solar water heating systems to the greater Cape Town area. Get in touch if you’re interested in a free quote.
