Betty asks…
How do these new energy saving light bulbs work?
Is there still filament in there? Why does it use less energy? How do you go about making a light bulb like that? links would be nice too.
adminsta answers:
You can now get a wide range of low-energy light bulbs that use about a fifth of the energy of traditional bulbs, for the same amount of light. Although they cost a little more to buy initially, they will last over 10 times longer than traditional bulbs, and will quickly pay for themselves over and over again by saving you money on your energy bills. Work out how much you can save using our energy saving bulbs calculator.
How do they work?
Energy saving bulbs are a compact form of fluorescent lighting (just like those long strip-lights). The cleverly-folded glass tubes contain a gas, and are coated on the inside with a layer of phosphor. When electricity passes through the gas, it emits ultraviolet rays which cause the phosphor coating to glow. This is more energy efficient because most of the energy is turned into light instead of wasteful heat (which conventional bulbs produce a lot of).
Wot about the watts?
Because they are more efficient, they can produce the same amount of light with less wattage. For example, 20w low energy bulb is equivalent to a 100w conventional bulb, and a 15w low energy bulb is roughly equivalent to a 60w conventional bulb.
What types are there?
There are a wide range of designs of bulb available, depending on the way that the glass tubes are folded. Usually, the tubes loop out of the base unit two, three or four times. Newer, spirally-coiled designs have recently become available too, which also distribute the light more efficiently. Sometimes the tubes are encased in a glass globe to make them look like conventional bulbs.
They are available in a wide range of brightness, sizes and fitting types, so you should be able to find a low energy bulb for most applications. However low energy lights are not normally suitable for dimmer switches.
How much do they cost?
Energy saving bulbs cost more to manufacture, so are a bit more expensive to buy. However they quickly pay for themselves, and thereafter save you money through lower energy bills and much longer life spans. Typical prices are around £4 – £5, depending on the wattage and manufacturer,
frequently asked questions
Do fluorescent lights use more energy to turn on and off, (and so is it best to leave them switched on?)
It’s a complete myth! Low energy bulbs definitely do not consume more energy to turn on, the only difference is that they can take a short while to reach full brightness. It’s always best to turn off any lights if you are not using them.
Are low energy lights dimmer?
No!. Low energy lights can seem dimmer when you first turn them on because they may take 30 seconds or so to reach their full brightness. When they were first available, low energy bulbs were pretty rubbish, but the newer top quality designs we stock start up and get bright much quicker.
Don’t low-energy lights produce a cold, white light?
When they were first developed, low energy lights produced a cold, harsh light, unlike the warmer, more yellow glows of the traditional light bulbs. Today, however, technology has improved, and you can get them with a ‘light temperature’ of 2700k. We’re not really sure what that means exactly, but the important thing is that the light is ‘warm white’.
I heard that energy-saving bulbs have mercury inside them?
Yes, mercury is an essential ingredient for energy-saving lamps, but modern designs contain only very very small quantities. Mercury content depends on the manufacturer, and the European eco-label permits a maximum of 4 milligrams per bulb.
Carol asks…
Would you say we are in a “Green” movement today?
I sort of feel that this is the beginning of a Green movement. There’s so much more publicity about saving the Enviroment, going Green, saving energy, etc. than there was when I was growing up. Or maybe I’m just noticing it now?
Seriously, I feel like the Green movement is taking off. It‘s something I think is great and would like to be a part of…But, I guess another question is, how can I be well informed about this and not just be taken as another flaky anti-government socialist? I don’t want to jump onto something because it seems like the cool thing…And it really confuses me. Is all the liberal “it‘s basically the end of the world” stuff true? How much is propaganda?
adminsta answers:
Make it your own.
Some things you can do without spending ANY money – the nice side effect of these is that you save money:
1. Turn off the light when you leave a room.
2. Don’t use Styrofoam – AT ALL. It’s made from petroleum, and, worse, doesn’t degrade in land fills.
3. Take your own bags to the supermarket.
4. Don’t smoke.
5. Keep the tires on your car inflated properly (saves gas)
6. Use public transportation when you can, if you can; and walk more if possible.
7. Buy local produce whenever possible, from local farmers.
8. Use air conditioning only when your home is going to be above 90 degrees – you CAN get used to warmer weather.
9. Turn the heat on to only 65-68 degrees in the winter – you’ll get used to it.
( #8 & #9 may need to be modified for health reasons)
10. Don’t expect “them” to do it – - – - – - -
Being a good steward of our celestial home is a “do-it-yourself” project. It really doesn’t have to be the end of the world to make us want to take better care of the world, does it?
We can be part of it – whether it’s a formal, political movement or not. One by one, we can make a difference – and save money in the process.
For the skeptics – yes, I do most of them. There is no public transportation in my area, and I live out in the country so I have to drive more than I would like – to compensate I have chosen to slow down. I rarely use an expressway and try to never drive over 50-55 mph. (this does have an “annoyance factor” to other drivers who are oblivious to the reasons for slowing down). The stores love it when I bring my own bags – it saves them money (they buy the ones they give you).
I don’t have central air (caveat: I live in the north) – but we do use room AC occasionally if our temps are over 90. I heat with oil (no gas lines out here) – and I keep the temp at 68 and put on sweaters. This is the hardest one for me as I am well beyond middle age and my skin seems to get thinner by the year.
Good luck – I’m sure you’ll find “being green” less trouble than you might think and quite cost effective.
Sandy asks…
Poll: which of the following would you be willing to do to prevent GLOBAL WARMING?
Energy is produced to generate electricity and to keep us warm. Most energy is produced by the burning of fossil fuels, like coal, oil and gas, which release carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas. Fuel burnt in our cars also releases carbon dioxide.
As an individual, you have little control on how your energy is produced. However, you can control the way in which you use that energy. Using less energy means less needs to be produced. Hence less carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere.
There are a number of ways that you can help to save energy in your home:
Say no to plastic bottles, etc… as much as possible.
Air dry your clothes. I live in Mexico sometimes, and yes it does not hurt to do this!
Turn off lights and appliances when they are not needed;
Re-insulate your walls and lofts, or eventually pay someone to do this.
Have a shower instead of a bath;
Fit double glazing;
Turn your heating down. (Turning it down by 1°C saves 10% on energy bills.)
Are you willing to advertize or find at least 2 other people to carpool with for the next 5 to 10 years? Yea or ne?
Eventually….. I know this is hard but eventually Buy a Hybrid Car
The average driver could save 16,000 lbs. of CO2 and $3,750 per year driving a hybrid
At present in the UK we produce 16 million tonnes of household rubbish a year. 90% of this waste is dumped into landfill sites. Landfill waste produces the second most important greenhouse gas, which is methane. If we can recycle more of this waste, the need to mine raw materials will decrease and less waste will need to be buried as landfill.
Road transport is the fastest growing sector in the UK. A quarter of carbon dioxide emissions comes from road transport. By using public transport, and by cycling and walking more, we can reduce the amount of carbon dioxide released by our cars.
adminsta answers:
Turn off ur mobile charger and not in use.
Keep ur inbox wit just imp mails and keep deleting useless one…having too many mails also leads warming so start from now
Steven asks…
How would you handle this crappy roommate?
Ok, so my roommate is one odd character. I don’t know if it‘s the way he was raised or what, but he is one of the strangest human beings I have ever met. Here’s the situation – and it‘s quite stupid, but bear with me. On really nice days such as today, I like to open the windows to let some fresh air come into the apartment. Not only do I do this because it makes the temperature comfortable, but because it saves energy as well. And we all know, when you save energy, you save money. But NO, my roommate HATES when I open the windows. He claims its too “loud” outside and that he doesn’t like the noise – there’s hardly any noise at all!! Scale 1 – 10 it‘d be a 2 max! He prefers that we turn on the air and waste money.
To top it off – and this is going off topic – he’s the most flamboyant guy I’ve ever met; we’re talking closet gay here. His guy “friend” is over here this weekend and you just know what they’re doing behind closed doors. Maybe that’s why he doesn’t want the windows open.
After reading this, you can still provide an answer if you want, but I just wanted to fume somewhere on the internet. He’ll be out of here in a month so I can’t complain.
adminsta answers:
He sounds pretty tame as far as roommates go. I had one roommate who talked crazy shit about me and our other roomie so we pissed on her bed. My latest roomie liked to blast beiber, invite a dozen people over while i was sleeping, and lock me out of the room and make me wait while she was having sex, and walk around in nothing but her underwear. She was the coolest girl ever though.
A roommate is just someone you need to be able to live with, nothing more. The more they get on your nerves the more you’ll learn to tolerate different people and appreciate privacy and little things like opening a window without someone going crazy on you.
Chris asks…
Are all you interested in this time saver for YA?
It would appear that one of the most common posts is “It‘s bushes fault”. In order to save typing this all the time–how bout we call it “11″. You can post things then like–the cause for problems with health care, cap and trade, male virility, global warming etc is “11″. If you are green this saves energy.
adminsta answers:
Most liberals.. As the guy with the cute photoshop avatar…you can tell need to be told what to think, see his answer…… So making easier would be a plus… But as unemployment hits 11% it may not work for them
Richard asks…
How do you say “to turn off” in french?
I would like to say–
to save energy you can “turn off your computer”
I am not sure how to say this-
is it quitter-fermer-or something else.
adminsta answers:
“Fermer” is good : “Pour sauver de l’énergie, fermez votre ordinateur.”
But the better way to say it is, according to me : “Pour sauver de l’énergie, éteignez votre ordinateur.” (éteindre)
Lisa asks…
What would you like to ask?about electrical energy.?
How the LED’s are more efficient than the conventional fluorescent lamps. How much is the energy bill saved by using LED lighting. Is it advisable to replace fluorescent by LED’s
adminsta answers:
More here than I can give:
http://eartheasy.com/live_energyeff_lighting.htm
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