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Are you using energy saving bulbs, and do you notice a saving ?

#1

jmurray01

jmurray01

I'm using energy saving bulbs in every room except the living room and kitchen, because those rooms have light fittings that need incandescent bulbs.

I picked up lots of energy saving bulbs about 1 year ago when they were down to 10 Pence/20 Cents per bulb (I couldn't resist and picked up the whole crate, got some strange looks but hey, they'll do me a lifetime! :laughing:), so I've got more than enough to keep putting new ones in when the old ones go.

But, have you noticed a difference in energy usage after switching from incandescent bulbs ?

I haven't, the electricity bills are still the same - Damn high! :laughing:

The energy saving bulbs do last longer, about 5-6 years in my experience, but I think they would probably last longer if they weren't turned on and off frequently, as that causes them to get clogged up.

I've got about 20 incandescent bulbs in my cupboard, so I could go back to them, but I think I'll stick with the energy saving bulbs simply because they last longer, but not because of savings, because I can't see any.

So, do you use them, and do you think they save money ?


#2

JDgreen

JDgreen

jmurray01 said:
I'm using energy saving bulbs in every room except the living room and kitchen, because those rooms have light fittings that need incandescent bulbs.

I picked up lots of energy saving bulbs about 1 year ago when they were down to 10 Pence/20 Cents per bulb (I couldn't resist and picked up the whole crate, got some strange looks but hey, they'll do me a lifetime! :laughing:), so I've got more than enough to keep putting new ones in when the old ones go.

But, have you noticed a difference in energy usage after switching from incandescent bulbs ?

I haven't, the electricity bills are still the same - Damn high! :laughing:

The energy saving bulbs do last longer, about 5-6 years in my experience, but I think they would probably last longer if they weren't turned on and off frequently, as that causes them to get clogged up.

I've got about 20 incandescent bulbs in my cupboard, so I could go back to them, but I think I'll stick with the energy saving bulbs simply because they last longer, but not because of savings, because I can't see any.

So, do you use them, and do you think they save money ?
Click to expand...

By "energy saving" what do you refer to? I have NEVER seen any type of energy saving bulb except reduced wattage (example, 95 watts instead of 100 watts) and fluorescent type...and those cost a lot more than 20 pence.

Last several electric bills here were $101, $208, $267, $306, and the latest was $227, as A/C season started to go down. Just FYI, before I built on back in 2002, my house was much smaller and the electric bill for the month of 2/02 was $43, and that INCLUDED electric hot water. in 2/10, the bill was $140 with no electric water heater....:eek:

Oh, my Blackberry just went off, my latest energy bill just arrived (honest) and the electric bill has gone down from $227 last month to only $95 for this month...YAHOO.


#3

jmurray01

jmurray01

JDgreen said:
By "energy saving" what do you refer to? I have NEVER seen any type of energy saving bulb except reduced wattage (example, 95 watts instead of 100 watts) and fluorescent type...and those cost a lot more than 20 pence.

Last several electric bills here were $101, $208, $267, $306, and the latest was $227, as A/C season started to go down. Just FYI, before I built on back in 2002, my house was much smaller and the electric bill for the month of 2/02 was $43, and that INCLUDED electric hot water. in 2/10, the bill was $140 with no electric water heater....:eek:

Oh, my Blackberry just went off, my latest energy bill just arrived (honest) and the electric bill has gone down from $227 last month to only $95 for this month...YAHOO.
Click to expand...
Yep, I mean fluorescent bulbs, and they are usually around $3 per bulb, but it must have been an energy saving month or something when I got 'em cheap.

Wow, that's a cheap energy bill, can we swap houses ? :laughing:


#4

Bison

Bison

Stupid fluorecent bulbs don't last half as long as the the old indescent ones but cost 3 times as much here.
Power bill hovers between 140(summer) and 200+(winter) last couple years(contract)

Sooo,no saving for this boy or it must be cause of the power contract.


#5

Ric

Ric

jmurray01 said:
Yep, I mean fluorescent bulbs, and they are usually around $3 per bulb, but it must have been an energy saving month or something when I got 'em cheap.

Wow, that's a cheap energy bill, can we swap houses ? :laughing:
Click to expand...

3 dollars a bulb, where are you buying them. You can buy them all day long for $1.50 a bulb at Home Depot and some cheaper. I've done the house and garage and replaced all the 60 watt incandescent with there 13watt CFL bulb and save a lot on the electric bill.
Now if your smart like my wife, we had two of the new bulbs go bad and she complained to the manufacturer and they sent us two eight packs for free. :thumbsup:


#6

jmurray01

jmurray01

Ric said:
3 dollars a bulb, where are you buying them. You can buy them all day long for $1.50 a bulb at Home Depot and some cheaper. I've done the house and garage and replaced all the 60 watt incandescent with there 13watt CFL bulb and save a lot on the electric bill.
Now if your smart like my wife, we had two of the new bulbs go bad and she complained to the manufacturer and they sent us two eight packs for free. :thumbsup:
Click to expand...
I'm not buying them anywhere :laughing:

I bought loads when they were down on price.


#7

JDgreen

JDgreen

jmurray01 said:
I'm not buying them anywhere :laughing:

I bought loads when they were down on price.
Click to expand...

How much is twenty pence in US dollars....??? Here I have an ad for 13 watt CFL for $3.49 each


#8

JDgreen

JDgreen

jmurray01 said:
Yep, I mean fluorescent bulbs, and they are usually around $3 per bulb, but it must have been an energy saving month or something when I got 'em cheap.

Wow, that's a cheap energy bill, can we swap houses ? :laughing:
Click to expand...

Very funny....$306 a MONTH for electricity is cheap compared to yours? :confused2:


#9

jmurray01

jmurray01

JDgreen said:
Very funny....$306 a MONTH for electricity is cheap compared to yours? :confused2:
Click to expand...
I meant the ninety something bill.

This is going off topic, but hey, I own the thread and can hijack it if I like.

Isn't it feeling more and more like winter with the nights drawing in quicker ?

For the last few nights I've thought to myself that it must be only a few days until Christmas or something, as it feels so wintery having the curtains shut at 7:30PM!


#10

wjjones

wjjones

jmurray01 said:
I'm using energy saving bulbs in every room except the living room and kitchen, because those rooms have light fittings that need incandescent bulbs.

I picked up lots of energy saving bulbs about 1 year ago when they were down to 10 Pence/20 Cents per bulb (I couldn't resist and picked up the whole crate, got some strange looks but hey, they'll do me a lifetime! :laughing:), so I've got more than enough to keep putting new ones in when the old ones go.

But, have you noticed a difference in energy usage after switching from incandescent bulbs ?

I haven't, the electricity bills are still the same - Damn high! :laughing:

The energy saving bulbs do last longer, about 5-6 years in my experience, but I think they would probably last longer if they weren't turned on and off frequently, as that causes them to get clogged up.

I've got about 20 incandescent bulbs in my cupboard, so I could go back to them, but I think I'll stick with the energy saving bulbs simply because they last longer, but not because of savings, because I can't see any.

So, do you use them, and do you think they save money ?
Click to expand...


I bought the cfl 9,and 10 watt bulbs, and as you said didnt really notice any savings but they do last a long time. I think the savings is gone because of rate hikes from the utility company.. I have one in the back porch light that has been in use for 6 years now for 6 to 8 hours per night..


#11

Bison

Bison

jmurray01 said:
I meant the ninety something bill.

This is going off topic, but hey, I own the thread and can hijack it if I like.

Isn't it feeling more and more like winter with the nights drawing in quicker ?

For the last few nights I've thought to myself that it must be only a few days until Christmas or something, as it feels so wintery having the curtains shut at 7:30PM!
Click to expand...
"t was -8 c up here night before last


#12

Two-Stroke

Two-Stroke

Bison said:
Stupid fluorecent bulbs don't last half as long as the the old indescent ones but cost 3 times as much here.
Power bill hovers between 140(summer) and 200+(winter) last couple years(contract)

Sooo,no saving for this boy or it must be cause of the power contract.
Click to expand...

You may have a problem with power surges. CFBs should last about six or seven years. You mentioned in another thread that you live at the end of a one-mile dirt road, etc. That sounds a lot like my place in Cleburne County, Alabama. I've had power surge problems there that I never had at the house in Atlanta. One week, two CFBs burned out -- and they were fairly new.

You may want to look into this. If you have expensive electronics not hooked up through a surge protector, you may be putting stress on them which will shorten their life. You can get a protector for the whole house or protectors that you plug into the wall.


#13

K

KennyV

There are fewer & fewer incandescent bulbs available and soon to be only specialty incandescent made... They are inefficient and short lived...
Any time you use Less amperage to do the same thing, your energy use Will go down... any time your usage goes down your billing will also go down... But the bill you get for that usage may not go down ... there are all kinds of add on charges, fees and taxes that the utility companies periodically get to add to the billing... If you do not seek ways to reduce your consumption, your bill will really grow ... :smile:KennyV

BTW what are you paying per kilowatt where you are located..?


#14

Two-Stroke

Two-Stroke

KennyV said:
There are fewer & fewer incandescent bulbs available and soon to be only specialty incandescent made... They are inefficient and short lived...
Any time you use Less amperage to do the same thing, your energy use Will go down... any time your usage goes down your billing will also go down... But the bill you get for that usage may not go down ... there are all kinds of add on charges, fees and taxes that the utility companies periodically get to add to the billing... If you do not seek ways to reduce your consumption, your bill will really grow ... :smile:KennyV

BTW what are you paying per kilowatt where you are located..?
Click to expand...

I pay about $.07 per kilowatt/hour which means I can run a 10w CFB for about 12 hours for roughly a penny. :biggrin:


#15

K

KennyV

In this part of Kansas we use electricity generated at a nuclear power plant... I remember when they were pitching the idea... power will be so cheap it will not be metered... Residential users will subscribe to electrical service at a fixed low mthly rate..... we are paying 10.4 cents per kW.... It could be worse... :smile:KennyV


#16

Bison

Bison

KennyV said:
In this part of Kansas we use electricity generated at a nuclear power plant... I remember when they were pitching the idea... power will be so cheap it will not be metered... Residential users will subscribe to electrical service at a fixed low mthly rate..... we are paying 10.4 cents per kW.... It could be worse... :smile:KennyV
Click to expand...
people lie.......all of them:mad:

'cept me:laughing:


#17

jmurray01

jmurray01

Bison said:
people lie.......all of them:mad:

'cept me:laughing:
Click to expand...
Of course! Goes without saying :laughing:


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