Nice but dim
A few weeks ago I came over all environmentally conscious and green and decided it was time to change all the lightbulbs to CFL low voltage thingies.

I even dug out copies of the most recent electricity bill to see how much we were spending each month, the idea being that I would chortle with delight every time a subsequent bill arrived with a much lower amount on it. I planned to wave the bill under Mrs Spankengine's nose, shouting "See? SEE?!", and feel very smug.

So armed with a count of the number of light bulbs in the house, off I trotted to stock up on the future of electricity, metaphorically slapping myself on the back the entire journey.

There's one very important fact you need to know about these marvellous, more-expensive CFLs: they don't work with dimmer switches. And Chez Spankengine has just two light fixtures that don't have dimmers.

The other thing about them is that they only really save you anything if the light's left on for 15 minutes or more at a time. If you just use them for quick on and offs the life of the bulb is shortened (like the old fashioned ones they have a certain number of on/off cycles before they die). And the location of my CFL-friendly, dimmer-free light fixtures? Cupboard under the stairs and bathroom.

I think I'll save 1p a year, once I've paid off the cost of the bulb itself.

Note to tree huggers: I really was trying to save the planet!!
(Thomas_The_Spankengine, Fri 4 Apr 2008, 1:20, 4 replies)

Dimmers?
You don't need dimmers on CFLs. They put out so little light in the first place, it's hardly worth it. They are totally crap.

Can't wait until LEDs have been upscaled sufficiently to be widely used in domestic lighting. That's the future of lighting, believe me. You read it here first.

(Actually, maybe you didn't, but WTF)
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Fri 4 Apr 2008, 8:18, closed)

30 seconds
Your eco-bulbs will give you lower electricity usage with as little as 30 seconds on-time, not 15 minutes, if that makes you feel any better.
(Smale is stuffed, Fri 4 Apr 2008, 13:10, closed)

LED bulbs
Try www.toolstation.com/index.html?code=53519

Toolstation sell LED bulbs that can be used in place of normal halogen bulbs and all sorts of other energy saving bulbs.

I changed some of mine in the kitchen and now use about 20W instead of 600W in there!
(golddust QOTW now revolves around being a cunt, Fri 4 Apr 2008, 13:57, closed)

Light saving bulbs
We have 24 GU-10 fittings in our house, the halogen bulbs used to go quite often, They can be a pain to change until you get the knack.

Net search found multi-colour changing LED's (non-dimmable), these work well in the bathrooms, and dimmable white LED's, these only work (dim) with rheostat dimmer units, not the newer electronic dimmer units.

The LED's are rated for 30,000 to 50,000 hours life and use 5% of the halogens power consumption.

Te initial outlay was hefty, but this will be recouped over the years. Not much use if you are planning to move, but you could always swap out the LED's with £1 shop halogens.
(alanrbnsn, Sun 6 Apr 2008, 1:15, closed)