Bought any light bulbs recently?

[Bugsy]

If not, you're in for a shock.

Since the introduction on 'energy efficient' bulbs only on Jan 1st (I think) you can no longer obtain the old type of bulb.

I've been out today to buy a couple of replacement bulbs and they cost 9.90 euros each [:-))]

Nothing fancy, just ordinary bulbs.

That is just ridiculous.

I don't think that we are alone in having bulbs blowing at an apparently alarming rate so this could get very expensive indeed.

.

[AnOther]

Stocked up whilst I had the chance and now got a box full of 60 & 100w incandescents which should last me a couple of decades. [;-)]

[Christine Animal]

[quote user="Bugbear"]
I don't think that we are alone in having bulbs blowing at an apparently alarming rate so this could get very expensive indeed..
[/quote]

Yes, ours have all been going lately, why is that?

 

[woolybanana]

Because Europe has been scre wed, as it seems with la grippe porcine.

[Christine Animal]

But these are not the screw in sort Wooly, but the ones with two little things sticking out.

 

[suein56]

[quote user="Christine Animal"]

But these are not the screw in sort Wooly, but the ones with two little things sticking out. [/quote]

Bayonet?

It's the cold Christine,

[woolybanana]

In my state a bayonet or a scre w is just bas good, so long as it lights me up.

[Dog]

What's your state Woolie? Has the new copy of Health & Efficient arrived?

[Christine Animal]

Thanks for the info Sue.  Never particularly noticed that with the cold before.

 

[Chancer]

A pal bought some compact flourescents for me that were being sold cheap at B&Q, luckily as I wanted Edison screw they still had some left, I picked them up on my last visit and they cost me 2 quid for 20.

Now at that price I was not expecting much but they were made by Phillips and give out a much better light than the more powerfull older ones that they replaced, they were also smaller so that now I can fit eco bulbs inall of my light fittings.

They also light up initially with 5 times as much light and get to full illumination much quicker compared to their predecessors.

I had read on this forum (Quillan IIRC) that the new generation ones are much better and these certainly are, for the first time I not only have (relatively) economical lighting but illuminatio by which I can read and work.

I dont actually mourn the loss of 100 watt incandescent ampoules, I believe that the lower wattages are for the moment at least still available, and I didnt stock up like many did. I will buy some spare candle bulbs though before they become tres cher.

I also saw some latest generation 3 watt spotlights at my friends house (he runs an eco enrgy company) and was mightily impressed with the light output but not the current price.

[Théière]

[quote user="Chancer"]

I also saw some latest generation 3 watt spotlights at my friends house (he runs an eco enrgy company) and was mightily impressed with the light output but not the current price.

[/quote]

Then you should see the latest 5watt versions, they are getting much better [:)]

[Chancer]

Given the output of the 3 watt ones which was much more than a 50 watt halogen I cannot see the need for 5 watt ones unless they can make them into a direct replacement for an incandescent 100 watt bulb.

[Théière]

Because at the moment it is not true that the light output from a 3 watt LED is more powerful than a 50w halogen. A 5 watt gets you closer and would allow either a wider light pattern or a beam which LED's don't do so well unless focussed through a lens (led lenser)

http://www.apollolighting.co.uk/products/Technical/Are%20LEDs%20The%20Answer/index.php

Look at the LED efficiency article Lux and Lumen comparison.

"We have received some photometric results of one of our suppliers LED fittings. The sales person stated that it was brighter than a 50W Dichroic.

Looking at the plain lumen outputs then this is simply not true".

[Bugsy]

Update:

I've just found exactly the same bulb as we bought locally for 9.90 euros for £2.50 in Asda Direct (special offer 3 for £5.00).[:@]

Stirling Shopping please add to my order .......................

.

[Théière]

Take a look at Homebase ex Sainsburys they are doing philips lamps at 10p

[Chancer]

[quote user="Théière"]

Because at the moment it is not true that the light output from a 3 watt LED is more powerful than a 50w halogen. A 5 watt gets you closer and would allow either a wider light pattern or a beam which LED's don't do so well unless focussed through a lens (led lenser)

http://www.apollolighting.co.uk/products/Technical/Are%20LEDs%20The%20Answer/index.php

Look at the LED efficiency article Lux and Lumen comparison.

"We have received some photometric results of one of our suppliers LED fittings. The sales person stated that it was brighter than a 50W Dichroic.

Looking at the plain lumen outputs then this is simply not true".

[/quote]

I was only speaking from how it seemed to my one and a half eyes Thiere, the 3 watt LED fittings dazzled me whereas a 50 watt halogen doesnt in the same manner, it was also daytime, trying to read by the 3 watt LED's at night may be an altogether different matter. Plus my eyesight is anything but normal now.

My damaged eye after multiple operations, laser treatment and the addition of an artificial crystallin lens now has some interesting characteristics, The normally dim or even invisible to the eye lamp of an UV light now dazzles me like a beacon on my left eye yet remains imperceptible when viewed with the right eye.

I found this out when I visited an exposition of paintings, the artist (a friends wife) was playing with lighting and had some paintings in a dark corner of the church lit by UV light to show them to their best effect, they looked completely different according to which eye that I used.

[Théière]

Ah yes Chancer wev'e all been dazzled at one point, I used to be particularly good at dazzling the management but with age it all dims and now I resort to baffling them with bull  shit [:D]

Sorry to hear about the lazer surgery problems, O/H going through similar trauma at the moment having just had the second correction. How with a wiz bang up to date wavefront scanner such errors occur is baffling, I wish I had asked to see the calibration cert to see how long ago it was done. I had an interesting chat with the opthamologist at the hospital yesterday and he stated 50% of the people going for that surgery should be rejected but less than 10% are and it should not be used for people over 50 years of maturity unless it's for special reasons.

But I digress:

I keep a careful eye on the LED developments and may try the 5 watt as replacement for some of the low voltage diachronic, IMO the 3 watt were still not good enough, fitted and removed 2 recently.

[Clarkkent]

[quote user="Théière"]Take a look at Homebase ex Sainsburys they are doing philips lamps at 10p[/quote]

And people who buy their electricity from nPower are receiving free packs of flourescent bulbs - I have had two such packs. I can understand receiving a pack to go with my electricity account, but do the bulbs work with gas as well?  [blink]

[arisyap]

[quote user="Bugsy"]If not, you're in for a shock.
Since the introduction on 'energy efficient' bulbs only on Jan 1st (I think) you can no longer obtain the old type of bulb.
I've been out today to buy a couple of replacement bulbs and they cost 9.90 euros each [:-))]
Nothing fancy, just ordinary bulbs.

That is just ridiculous.

I don't think that we are alone in having bulbs blowing at an apparently alarming rate so this could get very expensive indeed.

[/quote]

hey that's almost 14 US dollars, right? Here in  the US, some people do hoarding of the traditional light bulbs, before it get phased out in the market. My dad have boxes of it at home :)

[ViVienne]

in the uk they sell the low energy bulbs in the £1 and 99p shops

[Kitty]

[quote user="ViVienne"]in the uk they sell the low energy bulbs in the £1 and 99p shops[/quote]

Are light bulbs universal?  Do UK light bulbs work in France?

Just come back from two electrical shops in France and both only had the new type.  The cost of the bulbs were around 5 or 6 euros.

[Araucaria]

[quote user="Cathy"][quote user="ViVienne"]in the uk they sell the low energy bulbs in the £1 and 99p shops[/quote]

Are light bulbs universal?  Do UK light bulbs work in France?

Just come back from two electrical shops in France and both only had the new type.  The cost of the bulbs were around 5 or 6 euros.

[/quote]

Yes they are - at least Europe-wide, anyway. Some US ones will be lower voltage. And yes "UK light bulbs" work in France.

[Alex H]

[quote user="Araucaria"] And yes "UK light bulbs" work in France.

[/quote]

So how do you get the bayonet into the screw fitting then?

[Will]

When were you last in England? We have plenty of light fittings taking ES bulbs. Just as you can sometimes find BC fittings in Europe.

The same ES bulbs that cost 4-5€ up to about 9-10€ in France can be found for £1 or less (I have seen them as low as 10p if you buy several) with few more than £2.99 in 'rip-off Britain'.

[Araucaria]

[quote user="Tandem_Pilot"][quote user="Araucaria"] And yes "UK light bulbs" work in France.

[/quote]

So how do you get the bayonet into the screw fitting then?

[/quote]

Cathy didn't ask whether they fit the socket ..... just whether they worked.

And as a matter of fact, most of our local supermarkets here in France seem to have a large choice of bayonet fittings, just as the UK shops sell ES, and SES fittings too. I think I might blame IKEA.