About energy saving light bulbs

[what..the?]

Why have all the free ones I got through my door as a british gas and EDF energy customer all bayonet and not a screw fitting? I cannot get them to fit anywhere lol

And whats the low down on them anyway they are supposed to use less energy and last longer right? But does the way you use them matter? Like do you try to leave them on rather than turn them on and off all the time, does that wear the blub out and/or increase the energy used??

Thanks for any answers

From a Trotter chandelier fan

[danchip]

they are expected to last 10 years and use a lot less energy
the ones i've got take a while to warm up and get to their full brightness which is good if your just popping in and out of a room but you need to wait if you need to do somethingwhich requires bright light

[Toureman]

Use them as you would anything that is powered by electricity, if you don't need it switch it off.

An 11 watt energy bulb will give you the equivalent brightness as a 100 watt normal bulb !

[Barmaid]

Don't talk to me about energy saving bulbs! I am through with them!!

The muppets who built my house 2 1/2 years ago have used bayonet THREE pin fittings. They are non standard and you can only buy them online at ridiculous amounts of money. 3 have gone in the last few weeks - so that's going to be around �45 to replace them (with a spare). I have already used the equivalent of a small european country's oil reserves in driving round trying various electrical wholesalers to try and get hold of the bl00dy things. Consequently, half my house is in complete darkness.

[samsong7]

Barmaid,
Have you never thought about changing them for standard bayonet fittings?

[Barmaid]

Absolutely samsong. That is my next step. Over Christmas when my brother is free he is going to come with one of his blokes and do them for me. I looked in Homebase for the standard fittings but it involved wiring which I am not going to mess with!

[what..the?]

I'm really sorry for you I hate having lighting problems, I always have them being in rented everythings alays broken and poorly maintained.

Good luck which the switch over

[buildersmate]

They are very easy to change over, Bar Maid.
The reason why new houses are fitted with a MINIMUM number of 'fluorescent' only fittings is because there is a Building Control regulations that forces it. That was about 5 years ago when Government just started the campaign to reduce energy consumption from lighting.
Now the price of most energy-efficient bulbs (aka fluorescent) has come down so far that punters will buy them anyway and Utitities are giving them away. But the Reg hasn't (yet) been retracted).

[Panic Button]

Why can't they make hem to give a nice warm flattering light?

[puddicat]

How flattering do you want panic,maybe they can make some that make you look 10 years younger and 3 stone lighter!!!!

[Panic Button]

I would look very ill 3 stone lighter, but I'll accept the ten years.

[buildersmate]

I think they will get there soon Panic. Just the same as these low energy things started out as big ugly monsters you won't want to be seen in your living room. The 'colour' of fluorescents comes out very white - as I'm sure you know - a better version of the warmlight strip light types now to emerge.

[mjwman]

Not only were all the pendants in my daughers flat fitted with these odd bulbs but all were the big hole in the light fitting type too so adaptors were needed. Duing the last year or so we have replaced pendants with fittings but when she moved in I simply replaced the hanging wire and bulb holder with a conventional one (about �1) and fitted cheap low energy bulbs.
Even if you are a DIY numpty you can unscrew a rose and replace 2 wires!

[Bathsheba]

I bought a load today from Asda. They were on offer at �1 each- standard bayonet fitting, but small- i can use them in little table lamps instead of the golfball type. Can't use them with timers though x

[Bathsheba]

Oh, sorry, forgot to mention- didn't notice if they were selling screw types x

[janbee]

why can't energy bulbs be used with dimmer switches ?

[buildersmate]

Because of the way that dimmer switches work. They 'break up' the supply by chopping it. To a normal incandescent lamp, it merely thinks 'hmm, not as much electicity being fed to me as usual - I don't think I'll glow as bright, then'.
However the fluorescent type needs a continuous 'fix' of electricity to work, similar to a druggie. So it refuses to co-operate.

[what..the?]

thanks for thinking of me bathsheba with those screw fittings yes it would be good to get some with a screw fitting for �1 I just got some from the woolworths sale but they were still �1.99 I think I got 20% off

[janbee]

thanks for the answer Buildersmate

[Groupie]

All this talk of energy has made me tired
Good night