Energy-saving bulbs have a bright future

Low-energy light bulbs are not only better for the environment, they’re also better for your wallet, says Which?

Traditional bulbs are usually cheaper to buy (they start at around 40p, while the price of the low-energy bulbs on test begin at around £2), but they work out more expensive in the long run because they use more electricity and have to be replaced more often.

Which? found that switching one 100-watt incandescent bulb for a Best Buy low-energy equivalent could save up to £30 over five years.

And according to the consumer organisation’s calculations, if each UK household used just one energy-efficient light bulb, it could close down a power station.

When the newer-style energy-saving light bulbs became available in July 2006, Which? immediately started testing them. It has taken this long to publish the results as the trials included a rigorous lifetime test, where bulbs were turned on for 8,000 hours, the equivalent of at least eight years of use.

Which? can now reveal Best Buy bulbs from General Electric, Ikea and Osram.

Malcolm Coles, Editor, which.co.uk, says: “We want to turn people on to energy-saving light bulbs which give the double whammy of being good for the planet and good for the pocket. Traditional light bulbs’ days are numbered – they may be dirt cheap, but they’re a false economy.”