Light bulb test bank - can it extend to energy monitoring de

Sun 21 Jan 2007, 19:42

I suspect real answer is this. The manufactures that make incandescent bulbs are not going to subvert their own revenue streams. So if a Low-energy light bulb lasts 12 times longer, your customers will not comeback as frequently as they do with an incandescent bulb. So why not make is x times as expensive than a tungsten bulb. The customer saves on electricity costs, less CO2 is emitted and the manufacturers is happy and can survive to make bulbs for another day. Most manufacturers want to stay in business and even make a profit.

The Low-energy bulbs have many more components and are more difficult to manufacture than an incandescent light bulb hence the manufacturing cost is higher.
Supply and demand is also an aspect for the cost too. Most common low-energy light bulbs are relatively low in price (99p in Waitrose sometimes), it's the new experimental ones in short supply that are expensive like the GU10 type.

The supply chain rules also put up the price. The higher the price the more number of middle men you have selling the bulbs on.

Just for the full picture it is always a balance between pollution and energy and cost.
Low-energy light bulbs use two different technologies Compact Florescent tubes (CLF) and Light Emitting Diodes (LED). There are environmental issues with the mercury in CLFs. LEDs bulbs are manufactured by semiconductor plants that have been implicated in ground water contamination with extremely nasty chemicals (used in ANY electronics manufacture) such as arsenic, boron, phosphorous and gallium. Contrary to belief the electronic industry is one of the dirtiest ones.

On a brighter note.
In most homes, lighting accounts for 10-15% of the electricity bill. Low energy light bulbs can last up to 12 times longer than conventional light bulbs and can save up to £10.00 a year on electricity bills. Although low energy light bulbs cost more than conventional light bulbs they can save up to 10 times the cost of the lamp over its lifetime.

We live in an imperfect world where doing the right thing does not necessary give financial rewards or a fanfare of well deserved trumpets.

I hope this answers your questions.
Colin