Are those energy saving light bulbs worth it?

besides being better for our planet.....are they really saving you money?

Re: Are those energy saving light bulbs worth it?

my electric bill has dropped every month since I got them

and we have electric heat

It went from $185 to $107!

Re: Are those energy saving light bulbs worth it?

I just bought three at stop & shop. They were buy 1 get 2 free and I had a dollar coupon. Three cost me $3.99. So far they are cheaper but I have only changed one light bulb. We are in the process of redoing our bathroom and put in all new energy efficient lights. I figure if it saves me 10 dollars a month it is worth it---and I won't have to give LIPA anymore money then they are already getting.

I plan to covert my whole house to them as I redoing rooms.

Re: Are those energy saving light bulbs worth it?

I should add- I did the whole apartment

except for the master bath - which is hardly used

and the light I use to take ebay pics

Re: Are those energy saving light bulbs worth it?

We started using them as soon as we moved into our house, so I can't tell if the electric bill is different, but I can tell you that I have never had to change a lightbulb since! They last a really long time!!

Re: Are those energy saving light bulbs worth it?

I've heard they don't work in dimmers, so we haven't switched yet.

Re: Are those energy saving light bulbs worth it?

DH changed over most of the house - I couldnt even tell you where there is a regular light now.

He did it when we first got married and he said it does reduce somewhat. Every bit helps!

Re: Are those energy saving light bulbs worth it?

I haven't noticed any difference in our electric bills.... We have them throughout our house now, but not everywhere. I honestly hate them, as good as they are for the environment. It's not a strong light and they take forever to "warm up" and give good light.

Re: Are those energy saving light bulbs worth it?

We've put them in some areas but not all yet. I notice a delay when I flick the switch which is a bit annoying but it seems to happen in some areas, not all, ie: I see a delay in the closet light, but not in the family room ceiling light.

We put them in the kitchen ceiling fan and they were so darn bright it was like an interogation room. I had to swap them out for regular bulbs, but may switch back to a lower wattage or the pinkish ones when these blow out. The pink bulbs give off a warmer light than the regular ones which can be somewhat cold like a flourescent light.

Our outdoor fixtures that are motion activated have them, and especially in the cold they are slow to warm up but once warm they pump out the light.

I think they now make them specifically for dimmers and you can also get some different shapes for those ceiling fixtures that need the shorter lengths.

I never really compared cost savings but our electric bill is pretty reasonable so I guess there are some benefits.

Re: Are those energy saving light bulbs worth it?

yes, I noticed a drop in our LIPA bill, plus those bubls last a very long time, so you dont have to change them much.

Re: Are those energy saving light bulbs worth it?

more power, half of the watts, lost longer...its really a no brainer...

i have a small place plus we are extremely effiecent, leaving the room turning off the lights etc...saw some savings but then again, i run multiple computers in my household so its hard to tell

they make a device to measure the wattage being used and how much you can save...

Re: Are those energy saving light bulbs worth it?

do these light bulbs have a pleasing light (like regular bulbs)? I remember when they first came out, they looked like fluorescent light - which I really HATE!

Re: Are those energy saving light bulbs worth it?

I think they make a difference. We've got them throughout our house and have very low electric bills.

Re: Are those energy saving light bulbs worth it?

Re: Are those energy saving light bulbs worth it?

well I bought a 2-pack of the "soft white" energy saving bulbs at Home Depot. I haven't put them in yet though, so we'll see...

eta: I just put 1 in and I am impressed! very nice and pleasing soft lighting

it says on the package that each bulb will save you an average of $37 per year. that can really add up! esp since these bulbs are supposed to last 7 years each

Message edited 4/26/2008 5:29:19 PM.

Re: Are those energy saving light bulbs worth it?

Message edited 4/26/2008 5:46:38 PM.

Re: Are those energy saving light bulbs worth it?

i have them and honestly hate them.

i don't like the type of light they give off--but then again, i am VERY particular with my light bulbs. i also can't use them where i have dimmers.

i am very environmentally aware--but this is one area that i just don't like at all. whether they save me money or not doesn't phase me when i can't stand the light they give off--and i've tried many different brands and types. i will continue to use the ones i have, but once they go, it's back to the regular ones unless i find one i like.

Re: Are those energy saving light bulbs worth it?

We have them in most of our lamps now. The only drawback is they can't be dimmed and you won't get 3 different levels of brightness in a 3 way lamp switch.

Re: Are those energy saving light bulbs worth it?

5 watt dimmable candle CFL




Bulb-shaped dimmable CFL


Daylight-equivalent color dimmable CFL


Chandelier CFLs

3 way CFL 50-100-150 watt



There's really no type of bulb that isn't available in CFL.

Granted, there is a delay/warm-up, but as far as functionally speaking, you can get any style CFL that you can get in incandescent, as far as I can tell.

Message edited 4/26/2008 9:29:43 PM.

Re: Are those energy saving light bulbs worth it?

Definitely. I only replace the incandescent ones when they burn out w/ the energy saving ones, but I'd say about 1/2 our apartment has them now. Definitely a drop in Con Ed bills, and some of them have been in for well over a year, and haven't needed to be replaced yet.

Re: Are those energy saving light bulbs worth it?

I just bought a large pack at BJ's tonight. They were $13 for 100 watt for six of them. I leave my porch light on all night so I figure this will help save some money. My only issue is that they don't fit well in the bedroom light fixtures since they are a lot wider than a regular bulb so the cover doesn't go on right.

I need to check out Home Depot because I need about 20 recessed lighting ones.

Re: Are those energy saving light bulbs worth it?

I dont know if anyone else has this problem, but when I put them in my overhead lamp, they flickered when the light was shut off. Anyone else have this problem? It was a new fixture that I just had installed by an electrician too.

Re: Are those energy saving light bulbs worth it?

Good to know. My town was giving them away for free but I didn't know if it was worth it so i missed it. I will check it out.