Energy Saving Bulbs

[Charles Foster Kane]

Anyone else taken the leap and replaced all their bulbs with the new energy saving ones? I've just sat down and costed it up. I reckon I'll see a break-even after about 40 weeks with our usage.

The "normal" BC bulbs from Tesco are dirt cheap these days, and they have a 3 for 2 offer. Great, but only a fraction of my bulbs aren't candle, golf ball, R50's or dimmer driven..... Difference is massive.

Tesco 60W (11W) bulb - £1.68
MegaMan 9W Dimmable candle bulb - £10.52

Best place for "non-standard" bulbs I found was ebulb, Tescos for the rest.

Anyone found a cheaper supplier that might do a bulk discount ?

I think they are a false economy, they output barely any light compared to a 'proper' lightbulb, and make me mismatch navy blue socks with black ones under their weak 'glow'. It's like 'low fat' crisps, whereby you get about 6 crisps in a pack.

[TimberWolf]

It's like 'low fat' crisps, whereby you get about 6 crisps in a pack.

And low sodium salt. I have to use bucket loads of the stuff.

[Pinto]

I think they are a false economy, they output barely any light compared to a 'proper' lightbulb, and make me mismatch navy blue socks with black ones under their weak 'glow'. It's like 'low fat' crisps, whereby you get about 6 crisps in a pack.

That's the problem with them. The light they emit is just too yellow.

[TimberWolf]

I'm thinking of the 50ft x25ft x 10ft deep hole I saw on the Grand Designs programme... how much energy did it take to shift 400 odd tons of dirt & put it back again...

I don’t like imperial (Roman) units. Depends how/what moved it. Human muscles are only about 25% energy efficient (could be wrong about the exact figure), but a diesel engined digger might be 40 odd percent (again could be wrong about the figure).

In pure physical terms (100% efficient, no losses, minimum) moving 40 metric tonnes (40,000 Kg) to a height of 2 meters takes (40,000 Kg * 10 m/s^2 * 2 m) = 800 KJ. Or enough energy to power a 1KW electric fire for 13 minutes. But in pure physical terms that energy could be recycled by putting it back in the hole!

[TheFaQQer]

I'm thinking of the 50ft x25ft x 10ft deep hole I saw on the Grand Designs programme... how much energy did it take to shift 400 odd tons of dirt & put it back again...

Was that in the Irish church?

[TheFaQQer]

Don't think so, I think it was some lunatic doctor who built a mini mansion out of oak and had a windmill as well... though I may be wrong on that.

Ah - missed that one.

There was an Irish church being done up, where they dug out loads of earth to put down cables to provide the electricity geothermally.

It was nice, though.

[Charles Foster Kane]

Ah - missed that one.

There was an Irish church being done up, where they dug out loads of earth to put down cables to provide the electricity geothermally.

It was nice, though.

Yeah, and they installed solar powered lights I heard.

[gingerjedi]

Yeah, and they installed solar powered lights I heard.

Windows?

[Charles Foster Kane]

Windows?

XP.

[IT_Contractor_Agent]

energy saving bulbs?

bah humbug, stick it in the garden and watch it grow (bulb that is)