Energy saving lightbulbs review

Jonny69 · 14-09-2010, 14:09

Since I've got quite a few different energy saving bulbs round the flat and some older 60W bulbs I thought I might write up a review to help anyone buying them. This should put a few myths to bed, let you know what the light colour and output is like and give you a rough idea of price. I hope this comes across as a positive post because I am flying the flag for energy savers and they get a lot of bad press which is not deserved.

My test procedure is basically a visual one in the same room over white sheets on a bed, comparing with an economy 60W pearl bulb for reference. I've split them into old, mid-age and new bulbs.

1. The old ones

Ikea K511/1 11W

These three are around 7 years old now and are the first of the energy savers I bought. They all still work but are slow to start (at around 2-4 seconds from switch-on) and take at least a minute to put out their full output. Light output is lower than a 60W bulb and a warm white similar in colour to the 60W pearl bulb. I think they were around £3 each.

Philips Ecotone 9W Economy Warm White

Again, these two are coming up to around 7 years old and still work, though the bases are starting to blacken. Start up is instant though they flicker on. Light output is noticeably less than a 60W bulb and slightly pink in comparison. I don't remember what we had these ones for, but they are more like a 40W pearl bulb and must have been in the lamps. They wouldn't be much good for the main light in a room.

2. The mid-age ones

Philips Genie 11W 6 year

This bulb is around 3 years old and I was disappointed with how long it lasted. It still works but the base of the tube blacked within a few months and the light output was affected, so I stopped using it. It was originally quick to come on but now flickers on immediately and the light output is now poor.

Osram Dulux Electronic 23W

This is a big beast of a bulb. It is noticeably bigger and heavier than all the other bulbs and by far the brightest of the bunch. I think it's about 3-4 years old now and still comes on near-instantly with a fraction of a second delay. Full light output is immediate and it's a fair bit brighter than a 60W pearl bulb and an identical colour. I don't have a 100W bulb to compare it to unfortunately.

Osram Dulux EL 20W 12 year

This bulb was free from somewhere about 2 years ago, claiming to equal a 100W bulb and I was disappointed with it, so don't use it. There's about a 0.25 second delay and the light output is less than a 60W pearl but about the same colour. It's a lot lighter than the 23W Osram and I suspect it's a cheaper model.

Philips Genie 11W 10 year

Another freebie, this is my favourite bulb with the best light output in my opinion. Around 2 years old. It's instant-on with good output and brightens up a bit after 15 seconds. The light output is then the same as a 60W bulb and the same colour. When it was new it was full output immediately and I was very impressed with this bulb.

3. The new ones

Philips Genie 11W 10 year

I bought these yesterday to replace the old Ikea bulbs and they were 29p each or 3 for 30p in Sainsburys. That's pretty cheap and I was immediately suspicious. They look almost identical to the the older Philips Genie I own, but the info on the side of the bulbs is not as clear or printed straight, plus the bulb is lighter in weight. They are instant-on and full output immediately, but I think the light is not quite as bright as the older Genie. It's warmer in colour so this could be what makes it appear dimmer. Both models claim 600 lumens.

The difference between the two Genie bulbs is the model number. The new one has model K0948 on the side of the bulb and order code 224077xx on the top of the box, while the older one has order code: 224169xx on the box but nothing on the bulb. Just to confuse things, of course.

So my opinion is this: You can't go wrong with the cheapy 11W Philips Genies. The light output is adequate and, most importantly, it's instant. If you want identical light and colour to a 60W pearl then look for the older Philips Genie, which I suspect is a premium model and will cost more than 30p. If you really want a bright 100W equivalent then think about a 25W bulb, but make sure it's a good quality one or you'll be disappointed and be aware that they are quite big compared to a pearl bulb.

Approximate running costs are as follows, on for approximately 3 hours a day:

100W = £12.50/yr
60W = £7.50/yr
20W = £2.50/yr
11W = £1.40/yr

So even with light use you can spend quite a lot on replacement bulbs and recoup the cost quite quickly.

Burble · 14-09-2010, 15:01

I loathe and despise energy saving light bulbs though all the ones I've tried are a few years old. I'll pick up a couple of the new Philips ones and see what they're like.

Flibster · 14-09-2010, 17:17

Only ones I have a GE halogens. Mainly 100w replacement bulbs. Only ones I've found that work reliably with dimmer switches. They're 70w instead of 100w - come on instantly and are nice and bright. Have also tried a 150w equilivent - very bright indeed.

Kitchen, playroom and hall all have multiple 35w halogen bulbs on rail or cable systems.

Mark · 14-09-2010, 21:49

I've had three old Ecotones die recently (they could easily be 5-7 years old). One of them short-circuited while I was on holiday

, one just flashed and was gone, and one took so long to come on that it was time for it to go (I'm talking several minutes).

I've recently fitted a brand new 18w Philips Genie CDL 865 8 Years (1080 lumen) and a 20w Osram Dulux EL 12 Years (1200 lumen) that's been in a cupboard for a few years. Very happy with both of them so far. The Genie is a Daylight bulb - which I'd highly recommend anyone to get if they have a home office.

divine · 14-09-2010, 21:50

I like energy savers, never had any issues with slowness or them being dim.

I think far too many buy Tesco Value energy savers and then discount the whole technology on the basis that their cheap crap ones weren't very good.

Desmo · 15-09-2010, 07:11

I think most people discount them due to the fact that years ago the they were really crap and have never tried them again. Technology has moved on fast and they're actually quite good these days.

Muban · 03-03-2011, 15:02

Has anyone tried standard lamp to halogen lamp adaptors? Found these ones here. My main problem is the majority of energy saving bulbs won't fit inside the shades on my living room light. The ones you can get that fit (the very slim spiral ones) aren't dimmable. So I was thinking a G9 adaptor might be the best solution.

Flibster · 17-03-2011, 19:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by Muban

Has anyone tried standard lamp to halogen lamp adaptors? Found these ones here. My main problem is the majority of energy saving bulbs won't fit inside the shades on my living room light. The ones you can get that fit (the very slim spiral ones) aren't dimmable. So I was thinking a G9 adaptor might be the best solution.

Got a couple of them, but they've been fitted inside standard bulb shapes as well. We've got the 100w versions and they work really well.

Not tried dimming them, last dimmable energy saving bulb we tried was really noisy when dimmed.

Zirax · 17-03-2011, 22:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flibster

Got a couple of them, but they've been fitted inside standard bulb shapes as well. We've got the 100w versions and they work really well.

Not tried dimming them, last dimmable energy saving bulb we tried was really noisy when dimmed.

Aha, I think I have just found an alternative for my mum there. She feels odd when underneath these new energy savers. Thanks

Belmit · 17-03-2011, 22:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flibster

Not tried dimming them, last dimmable energy saving bulb we tried was really noisy when dimmed.

I can't live with dimmable lights - have hypersensitive hearing so I can hear even the slightest buzz from anything electrical. My current nuisance noise is from the new PCs we're getting from our supplier at work. Started to drive me spare so I tested every component I could think of - case fans, PSU, HD, optical drive... even tried unplugging memory and on-board pin connectors for front panel and system lights/switches. The sound appears to be coming from the motherboard itself and is just a random chirruping. A Google search only gave me one link for that motherboard with a known issue of 'induction singing'. Apparently a BIOS upgrade i meant to fix it.... Nope.

I'm now in two minds about going back to the supplier because it seems so petty, and no-one else is likely to have issues with it. I've since downgraded to my old PC with the previous version of the motherboard installed.

Wait, this was a thread about light bulbs right?!

14-09-2010, 14:09	#1
Jonny69 Noob Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Socialist Republik of Kent Posts: 5,032	Energy saving lightbulbs review Since I've got quite a few different energy saving bulbs round the flat and some older 60W bulbs I thought I might write up a review to help anyone buying them. This should put a few myths to bed, let you know what the light colour and output is like and give you a rough idea of price. I hope this comes across as a positive post because I am flying the flag for energy savers and they get a lot of bad press which is not deserved. My test procedure is basically a visual one in the same room over white sheets on a bed, comparing with an economy 60W pearl bulb for reference. I've split them into old, mid-age and new bulbs. 1. The old ones Ikea K511/1 11W These three are around 7 years old now and are the first of the energy savers I bought. They all still work but are slow to start (at around 2-4 seconds from switch-on) and take at least a minute to put out their full output. Light output is lower than a 60W bulb and a warm white similar in colour to the 60W pearl bulb. I think they were around £3 each. Philips Ecotone 9W Economy Warm White Again, these two are coming up to around 7 years old and still work, though the bases are starting to blacken. Start up is instant though they flicker on. Light output is noticeably less than a 60W bulb and slightly pink in comparison. I don't remember what we had these ones for, but they are more like a 40W pearl bulb and must have been in the lamps. They wouldn't be much good for the main light in a room. 2. The mid-age ones Philips Genie 11W 6 year This bulb is around 3 years old and I was disappointed with how long it lasted. It still works but the base of the tube blacked within a few months and the light output was affected, so I stopped using it. It was originally quick to come on but now flickers on immediately and the light output is now poor. Osram Dulux Electronic 23W This is a big beast of a bulb. It is noticeably bigger and heavier than all the other bulbs and by far the brightest of the bunch. I think it's about 3-4 years old now and still comes on near-instantly with a fraction of a second delay. Full light output is immediate and it's a fair bit brighter than a 60W pearl bulb and an identical colour. I don't have a 100W bulb to compare it to unfortunately. Osram Dulux EL 20W 12 year This bulb was free from somewhere about 2 years ago, claiming to equal a 100W bulb and I was disappointed with it, so don't use it. There's about a 0.25 second delay and the light output is less than a 60W pearl but about the same colour. It's a lot lighter than the 23W Osram and I suspect it's a cheaper model. Philips Genie 11W 10 year Another freebie, this is my favourite bulb with the best light output in my opinion. Around 2 years old. It's instant-on with good output and brightens up a bit after 15 seconds. The light output is then the same as a 60W bulb and the same colour. When it was new it was full output immediately and I was very impressed with this bulb. 3. The new ones Philips Genie 11W 10 year I bought these yesterday to replace the old Ikea bulbs and they were 29p each or 3 for 30p in Sainsburys. That's pretty cheap and I was immediately suspicious. They look almost identical to the the older Philips Genie I own, but the info on the side of the bulbs is not as clear or printed straight, plus the bulb is lighter in weight. They are instant-on and full output immediately, but I think the light is not quite as bright as the older Genie. It's warmer in colour so this could be what makes it appear dimmer. Both models claim 600 lumens. The difference between the two Genie bulbs is the model number. The new one has model K0948 on the side of the bulb and order code 224077xx on the top of the box, while the older one has order code: 224169xx on the box but nothing on the bulb. Just to confuse things, of course. So my opinion is this: You can't go wrong with the cheapy 11W Philips Genies. The light output is adequate and, most importantly, it's instant. If you want identical light and colour to a 60W pearl then look for the older Philips Genie, which I suspect is a premium model and will cost more than 30p. If you really want a bright 100W equivalent then think about a 25W bulb, but make sure it's a good quality one or you'll be disappointed and be aware that they are quite big compared to a pearl bulb. Approximate running costs are as follows, on for approximately 3 hours a day: 100W = £12.50/yr 60W = £7.50/yr 20W = £2.50/yr 11W = £1.40/yr So even with light use you can spend quite a lot on replacement bulbs and recoup the cost quite quickly. __________________

14-09-2010, 17:17	#3
Flibster Moonshine Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 3,388	Only ones I have a GE halogens. Mainly 100w replacement bulbs. Only ones I've found that work reliably with dimmer switches. They're 70w instead of 100w - come on instantly and are nice and bright. Have also tried a 150w equilivent - very bright indeed. Kitchen, playroom and hall all have multiple 35w halogen bulbs on rail or cable systems. __________________

14-09-2010, 21:49	#4
Mark Screaming Orgasm Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Newbury Posts: 15,194	I've had three old Ecotones die recently (they could easily be 5-7 years old). One of them short-circuited while I was on holiday , one just flashed and was gone, and one took so long to come on that it was time for it to go (I'm talking several minutes). I've recently fitted a brand new 18w Philips Genie CDL 865 8 Years (1080 lumen) and a 20w Osram Dulux EL 12 Years (1200 lumen) that's been in a cupboard for a few years. Very happy with both of them so far. The Genie is a Daylight bulb - which I'd highly recommend anyone to get if they have a home office. Last edited by Mark; 14-09-2010 at 21:54.

14-09-2010, 21:50	#5
divine Moonshine Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Southampton Posts: 3,201	I like energy savers, never had any issues with slowness or them being dim. I think far too many buy Tesco Value energy savers and then discount the whole technology on the basis that their cheap crap ones weren't very good. __________________

15-09-2010, 07:11	#6
Desmo The Last Airbender Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Pigmopad Posts: 11,915	I think most people discount them due to the fact that years ago the they were really crap and have never tried them again. Technology has moved on fast and they're actually quite good these days. __________________

14-09-2010, 15:01	#2
Burble Rocket Fuel Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 7,826	I loathe and despise energy saving light bulbs though all the ones I've tried are a few years old. I'll pick up a couple of the new Philips ones and see what they're like.

03-03-2011, 15:02	#7
Muban Shoes, Boobs & Corsets Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: The fastest town in Scotland Posts: 1,882	Has anyone tried standard lamp to halogen lamp adaptors? Found these ones here. My main problem is the majority of energy saving bulbs won't fit inside the shades on my living room light. The ones you can get that fit (the very slim spiral ones) aren't dimmable. So I was thinking a G9 adaptor might be the best solution. __________________ well, not to put a too fine point to it, he was discovered.. in the lounge

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