Are You Getting The Most Out Of Your Energy Saving Lightbulbs?

We all know that energy saving light bulbs boast significant advantages over the traditional incandescent bulb. Miles of column inches and acres of virtual space in the form of web pages have been given over to the benefits of energy saving light bulbs. Magazines, newspapers, radio stations and DIY experts have been extolling the virtues of less wasted energy, smaller heat production and longer lamp life for so long that most households have switched onto eco-friendly lighting alternatives as incandescent bulbs have worn out and been replaced. But, do you know if you’re really capitalising on your switch to being green? Canadian newspaper, The Globe and Mail has recently completed a research project into how best to use energy saving lightbulbs and the most efficient ways to use them to truly benefit from the savings on offer. They discovered that…

• Be careful where you position the bulbs: After speaking to a lighting technology firm, the newspaper discovered that the position of a bulb can make a real difference to its lifespan. Lights that are recessed or enclosed in some way will fare poorly against their advertised life spans – although energy savers like GU10 bulbs emit around 80% less heat than their old fashioned counterparts, some heat will become trapped around the bulb and disrupt its performance capabilities if it is too tightly enclosed.

  Although we normally associate turning lights off when we leave a room as being better for the environment, an architect interviewed by The Globe and Mail advised that energy saving light bulbs should be left on for a minimum of four hours at a time in order to maximise the number of lit hours they will run for. Leaving bulbs on for an hour or less can reduce the potential operating span of the bulb by up to 50%.

  As well as considering whether or not the bulb will be too tightly enclosed and its ability to function for longer than an incandescent bulb impeded by the residual heat, The Globe and Mail spoke to Popular Mechanics, who advised against placing <span style=color: #0000ff;><span style=text-decoration: underline;>low energy bulbs next to front or back doors as the vibrations caused by slamming the doors could also shorten lamp life.

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