Cost of CFLs to Triple in UK After Incandescents Banned

[roo_ster]

Not particularly surprised.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1343554/Eco-bulb-cost-treble-Makers-cash-ban-old-style-bulbs-kicks-in.html

First, they used taxpayer monies to subsidize CFLs.  Then, they use the threat of violence to enforce their use. 

[HankB]

The story says the incadescent ban was imposed  " . . . in an effort to meet climate change targets . . . "

The only "target" they're concerned about meeting is the amount of wealth transferred from the pockets of English subjects to the pockets of their betters.

Corrupt b@$t@rd$.

[Iain]

Yes, it's a scam. Even if it does happen, they'll cost a reasonable amount, save energy and last longer, saving the consumer money. I've pulled a bunch of three year old Philips CFLs out of my old flat today, should get another three years out of them. I've been ripped off, or something.

Still, I know what this is, it's easy to see from the way the comments on that Daily Wail article have been ranked by the Wail readers:

I bought a load from ASDA who were selling 3 for 33p - great deal and they last longer than the more costly, traditional bulbs

minus 33

Just another rip-off. We don't need eco-bulbs. Like all this Global Warming trash, its just lies and theft.

plus 449

Sad, but funny. Knee-jerk is truth, reasonable must be ranked out of sight. But wait, the mercury - it'll kill us all.

[mtnbkr]

Yes, it's a scam. Even if it does happen, they'll cost a reasonable amount, save energy and last longer, saving the consumer money. I've pulled a bunch of three year old Philips CFLs out of my old flat today, should get another three years out of them. I've been ripped off, or something.

Regardless of the eco-reasoning behind the switch to CFLs, I've been using and loving them for a decade now.  Prior to the wholesale switch to CFLs in my house, I was replacing incandescents piecemeal at least once a month.  In every case, switching to CFLs ended that cycle.  Some of those bulbs have been in place for upwards of 5 years.  The ones in the ceiling fans don't last quite as long, but they still last a year or more easily (these are normal CFLs, not fan-specific).

The only incandescent bulbs we have left are the specialty ones that haven't failed yet (bathroom fixtures for example), the ones in the basement, and my work light in the garage.

I will say I hate the ones with white or bluish light.  I look for ones with a warmer light.  It's easier on my eyes. 

Chris

[AZRedhawk44]

I changed out all of my CFL's for incandescents last week.  It was dang cold in AZ, and I actually WANTED the extra heat generated by the older bulbs.

I'll change back once the weather snaps back into a proper global warming pattern.

[HankB]

. . . I've been using and loving them for a decade now.   . . .

Making a choice is fine - I've been using CFLs in my yard light for years; longer lasting, about 1/4 the power, and I don't care about the quality of the light.

The problem I have is having the opportunity to choose removed by politicians and bureaucrats, especially when it's to address a phony problem.

[Sergeant Bob]

Making a choice is fine - I've been using CFLs in my yard light for years; longer lasting, about 1/4 the power, and I don't care about the quality of the light.

The problem I have is having the opportunity to choose removed by politicians and bureaucrats, especially when it's to address a phony problem.

This right here ↑↑

Along with telling us what toilets and washing machines to buy.

[mtnbkr]

Don't misread my post, I never said taking the choice away was ok, just that I'm very happy with CFLs.

Chris

[230RN]

I've waxed wroth about them in the past, but I'm coming around on them.  My main problem with them was that they kept burning out --which voided out the benefit part of the cost-benefit relationship. 

I guess once you get through the crappy ones, the rest seem to be OK.

My problem is, as stated above, the removal of the freedom of choice.

And frankly, I'm getting a little tired of companies making it a matter of law to use their product exclusively.

Let's face it, one of the tenets of free-market competition is to eliminate the competition.

Once that's done, the price = demand / supply equation goes all funny.

Or goes all tragic --your preference as to terminology.

Terry, 230RN

[erictank]

Yes, it's a scam. Even if it does happen, they'll cost a reasonable amount, save energy and last longer, saving the consumer money. I've pulled a bunch of three year old Philips CFLs out of my old flat today, should get another three years out of them. I've been ripped off, or something.

Still, I know what this is, it's easy to see from the way the comments on that Daily Wail article have been ranked by the Wail readers:
 minus 33
 plus 449

Sad, but funny. Knee-jerk is truth, reasonable must be ranked out of sight. But wait, the mercury - it'll kill us all.

I've had a number of them, from multiple manufacturers, blow out in under 6 months in INSIDE sockets now.  So I bought a bulb that costs 10 times more which lasted ALMOST as long as the average incandescent IN THE SAME SOCKET.

How the frakking hell is THAT good for the environment, Iain?

Leaving aside the whole extortion aspect of the OP, that is.

[Racehorse]

I bought a cheap pack of 4 that was on sale at Lowe's a couple weeks ago. One of the bulbs burned out within 30 seconds of installing them. I returned those to the store and bought some that cost twice as much.

So far, so good. We'll see if they actually last the several years promised. These are in a kitchen light that's on probably 12-16 hours a day. I'd lose an incandescent bulb every 2 weeks or so. If I get at least a year out of these, I'll consider them a success.

[RevDisk]

Yes, it's a scam. Even if it does happen, they'll cost a reasonable amount, save energy and last longer, saving the consumer money. I've pulled a bunch of three year old Philips CFLs out of my old flat today, should get another three years out of them. I've been ripped off, or something.

Still, I know what this is, it's easy to see from the way the comments on that Daily Wail article have been ranked by the Wail readers:

Sad, but funny. Knee-jerk is truth, reasonable must be ranked out of sight. But wait, the mercury - it'll kill us all.

The greatest evil is "for your own good".  It is easy to take a stand when something is obviously wrong.  It's harder to do the right thing when you're defending something you personally disagree with.  That is the true measure of a person.

CFLs are "better" under many/most circumstances.  Banning incandescent is still wrong.

[Kingcreek]

I've rethought the whole CFL thing since I had one go out with flames, yes folks, real honest-to-god fire that could have been catastrophic if I had not been right there when it happened. I'm buying a good supply of incandescents to store in the basement with my Y2K ammo and candles and stuff.

[Northwoods]

I'm just waiting on the LED lights to come down a bit more in price.  Screw the CFL's.

[Boomhauer]

I've rethought the whole CFL thing since I had one go out with flames, yes folks, real honest-to-god fire that could have been catastrophic if I had not been right there when it happened. I'm buying a good supply of incandescents to store in the basement with my Y2K ammo and candles and stuff.

Kingcreek, you aren't the only one. I had one that started flickering and then smoking, it was about to catch on fire.
CFLs are a load of *expletive deleted*it.

[Iain]

Globe brand by any chance? All the internet stories refer to this particular brand - http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/household/cflbulb.asp I'll bet faulty incandescents have started the odd fire in the last century. I remember a few Ford Explorers caught fire - the internal combustion engine is a load of something, or perhaps there was a fault with the Ford Explorer.

The face of the global warming scam, mercury, fire, dim light - the devils own lightbulbs it seems.

As ever, a lack of support for a knee-jerk reaction is construed as support for that which is being reacted to. In the dim light of a burning out CFL, I'll paint half my face blue and practice my cries of Freedom!

[Kingcreek]

was NOT Globe brand but was mfg'd in China like all of the CFLs.

[bedlamite]

I have and use both. The cfl's are in the hallway, living room, and kitchen where lights may stay on for hours, my primary use for incandescent bulbs is in the garage where I'm only going to be in there for a minute or so, and in the winter it takes longer than that for the cfl's to put out enough light to be useful. I've already laid in a stock of 100w incandescent bulbs specifically because of that. Sounds like I might have to get a bunch of cfl's too.

[MicroBalrog]

The greatest evil is "for your own good".  It is easy to take a stand when something is obviously wrong.  It's harder to do the right thing when you're defending something you personally disagree with.  That is the true measure of a person.

CFLs are "better" under many/most circumstances.  Banning incandescent is still wrong.

Revdisk is correct, as he often is.

[tyme]

I've had a number of them, from multiple manufacturers, blow out in under 6 months in INSIDE sockets now.  So I bought a bulb that costs 10 times more which lasted ALMOST as long as the average incandescent IN THE SAME SOCKET.

How the frakking hell is THAT good for the environment, Iain?

Leaving aside the whole extortion aspect of the OP, that is.

The hidden cost is in the electric bill, which most people gripe about in aggregate, but few people attempt to itemize.  At $.10/kWh, replacing a 100w incandescent with a 25w (actual) CFL, on 4 hrs a day, is 75W * 4 hrs/day * 30 days = 9kWh = $.90 per month.  After six months you've probably saved well over the cost of a CFL unless it's a very high-end one.  My last pack of 4 100 watt-equivalent CFLs at home depot was about $7.

Even if it weren't substantially cheaper, how much is it worth to you not to have to change bulbs as often?  Were your incandescents lasting 6 months?

The environmental impact of mercury from CFLs is frequently overstated.  The long average lifespan of CFLs and the small amount of mercury in them, makes them a minimal contributor to environmental mercury pollution (compared to mercury from other consumer and industrial waste) even if everyone threw them out rather than recycling them.  Second, if you get your electricity from coal, more mercury is released from the differential power requirements of an incandescent bulb for the avg lifespan of a CFL than would be released by powering and then breaking that CFL.

Life expectancy of CFL bulbs decreases with increased temperature.  Are your light fixtures particularly cramped where the CFLs have been burning out?

[Boomhauer]

Mine was a Sylvania CFL.

And incandescent bulbs have never started to smoke and catch fire in my house, but a CFL has. But, you know, I'm an idiot for not thinking much of CFLs.

[bedlamite]

  Were your incandescents lasting 6 months?

Actually, I still have incandescents that have outlasted several cfl's.

[Ron]

Going on three years now with all CFL's in every fixture.

I live very close to train tracks and standard bulbs failed fast and furiously. 6 months would be doing good.

In three years now I've replaced one CFL.

Between replacement costs and energy savings I figure I'm ahead now.

Even so, I'm opposed to making it a law you have to use them.

[roo_ster]

When I run incandescents in auto-dimming fixtures that run them for most of their lives at a wattage below their rating, they last a LONG time.  Like, a year or more in my auto-on at sunset (dimmed) motion-sensing (then goes hot to full wattage) fixture at the door to my back yard.  Good thing, since no CFL I have ever come across has been rated for dimming and motion-sensors in an enclosed fixture.  Last time I asked, the guy at Lowes laughed.

Most CFLs I have used don't last as long as they claim.  A grand total of three have lived up to or past their claimed longevity.

As for fires, I have noticed most my burned-out CFLs have scorch marks.  Not exactly confidence inspiring.

And how about the OP: subsidizing CFLs and then dropping the subsidy when the become law, thus tripling the cost?

Oh, I also just toss the dead CFLs in the trash.  I'm not going out of my way for a flipping light bulb.

[erictank]

The hidden cost is in the electric bill, which most people gripe about in aggregate, but few people attempt to itemize.  At $.10/kWh, replacing a 100w incandescent with a 25w (actual) CFL, on 4 hrs a day, is 75W * 4 hrs/day * 30 days = 9kWh = $.90 per month.  After six months you've probably saved well over the cost of a CFL unless it's a very high-end one.  My last pack of 4 100 watt-equivalent CFLs at home depot was about $7.

Even if it weren't substantially cheaper, how much is it worth to you not to have to change bulbs as often?  Were your incandescents lasting 6 months?

More.  I'd replaced a few at that point which had come with the house - which we'd moved into 8-9 months previously.  I also still have one left (about another 8-9 months later) which has outlasted multiple CFLs in multiple fixtures.  The extended lifespan of CFLs is what made me willing to give them a shot.  That extended lifespan was, apparently, a lie.  I do not plan to buy more, and will continue to stock up on incandescents to replace the CFLs I *DID* buy until LEDs come down enough to start making those viable.  I've LOST money on my trial with CFLs, and don't like 'em for other reasons to boot.

The environmental impact of mercury from CFLs is frequently overstated.  The long average lifespan of CFLs and the small amount of mercury in them, makes them a minimal contributor to environmental mercury pollution (compared to mercury from other consumer and industrial waste) even if everyone threw them out rather than recycling them.  Second, if you get your electricity from coal, more mercury is released from the differential power requirements of an incandescent bulb for the avg lifespan of a CFL than would be released by powering and then breaking that CFL.

Life expectancy of CFL bulbs decreases with increased temperature.  Are your light fixtures particularly cramped where the CFLs have been burning out?

Far from it.  And what you're saying (what I'm hearing, at least) is that CFLs don't work right when it's warm OR when it's cold.  So, remind me again - what frakking good are overly-expensive "long life" bulbs which burn out in less than a tenth the stated lifetime, put out light which many (including my wife) object to, don't work right apparently under any given temperature conditions, and add extra mercury (over and above what the local power plants are responsible for) into the environment?  Oh yes - and which must be disposed of as hazmat rather than being tossed out in the regular trash.

Pass.