Energy saving light bulbs: Your light bulb concerns answered Saving money with low energy light bulbs
How much money can I save by using energy-saving light bulbs?
The table below shows how much low-energy and traditional light bulbs of different wattages cost to run, and how much you could save by switching.
| Typical energy use over five years | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Wattage of light bulb (W) |  Low-energy light bulb |  Traditional light bulb |  Savings over five years |
| 40W (traditional) or 8W (low-energy) | £5.40 | £27.00 | £21.60 |
| 60W (traditional) or 11W (low-energy) | £7.43 | £40.50 | £32.40 |
| 100W (traditional) or 15W (low-energy) | £10.13 | £67.50 | £54.00 |
Table notes
Cost of electricity 13.5p/kWh Hours on per year 1,000 Years on 5
How do energy-saving light bulbs save me money?
Traditional incandescent bulbs only use a small proportion of the electricity they draw to generate light – the rest is wasted as heat. Energy-saving light bulbs, however, use most of the electrical energy they draw to generate light, and very little is wasted as heat.
Therefore switching to energy-saving light bulbs will save you energy and money, and reduce the amount of carbon dioxide emitted to the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is one of the main greenhouse gases thought to be responsible for global warming, so by switching to energy-saving light bulbs you’ll be helping to reduce climate change.
See our energy-saving light bulbs reviews for Best Buy light bulbs.
How do energy-saving light bulbs work?
Traditional incandescent light bulbs work by passing an electric current through a thin metal wire, which becomes hot and emits light. Unfortunately, a lot of energy is wasted as heat, while only a small proportion goes towards generating light.
Energy-saving light bulbs work in the same way as fluorescent lights. An electric current passes through gas in a tube, making the tube’s coating glow brightly. Energy saving light bulbs are more efficient because most of the electrical energy is used to generate light and very little is wasted as heat.
- Which? Advice: How to buy energy saving light bulbs
- Find out how to cut your electricity bill and save money on heating
