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Compact fluorescent v incandescent globes
Incandescent globes were the first form of electric lighting ever introduced for use in the home.
Compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFL) use far more efficient lighting technology, with a typical CFL using around 80 per cent less electricity and lasting around 8 times longer than an incandescent light globe.
Energy consumption is directly proportional to a globe’s wattage. Energy efficient compact fluorescent bulbs generally use between 9 and 20 watts, while incandescent globes commonly used around the home typically use between 40 and 100 watts.
The cost of running a light is directly related to its wattage. The higher the wattage, the higher the running cost.
Even though compact fluorescent lamps are more expensive than incandescent globes to purchase, as they last far longer and have much lower running costs their overall “lifecycle” costs are much cheaper. In fact, the “payback” for compact fluorescents is less than a year.

Availability and installation
Compact fluorescent lighting now comes in a variety of colours, shapes, sizes and functions including:
• A ‘warm white’ colour, similar in appearance to an incandescent lightglobe suitable for use in living areas, kitchens and bedrooms
• A ‘cool’ white colour suitable for use in bathrooms, toilets and for outdoor use
• Globe, coil and spiral shapes, and now bulbs suitable for reading lamps and chandelier lights. Also available with a glass cover that give them a similar appearance to incandescent lightglobes
• 9 watt (24 watt equivalent) to 18–20 watt
(100 watt equivalent)
• Downlight replacements (similar in shape to
a halogen downlight).
Compact fluorescent light bulbs are generally available wherever conventional light bulbs are sold, with most hardware stores and major supermarkets stocking a good range. They are usually designed to fit into conventional bayonet or screw fitting light sockets. Specialist lighting stores will stock less conventional bulbs for use in downlights and heritage light fixtures, such as chandeliers.
Phasing out incandescent light bulbs
The Victorian Government supports the Federal Government’s plan to phase out inefficient incandescent light bulbs over the next three years
(by 2010).
What about halogen lighting?
Halogen lights are also a type of incandescent light. These are mainly used as downlights in homes. Halogens are also known a “low voltage” lights as they have transformers fitted to convert from the standard household 240 volts to 12 volts, but this does not mean that they are also low energy use.
Halogens are considered an energy intensive lighting option because several halogen lights are often needed in the place of one incandescent or fluorescent light bulb to achieve even lighting levels in a room. (Most low voltage halogen globes used as downlights consume 50 watts each and an additional 15 watts for the transformer).
A 50W halogen downlight used 3 hours a day will cost around $10 a year to run. If you had a room with 8 halogens and ran them for 8 hours each day, it would cost you over $200 every year!
As most halogen lights have a narrow light beam, many more are need to effectively light a room than when using other forms of lighting.
As with incandescent lightglobes, a large proportion of the energy consumed by halogen lighting is actually lost in the form of heat.

Option for halogen lights
• In a new home or renovation you can get the look of downlights by installing mini CFL down light fittings. This will cost a bit more, but you will make a big difference to your energy bills and greenhouse gas emissions.
• If you have 50 watt halogen lights downsize them to 20 watt or 35 watt halogen lights to save energy and lighting bills.
• Install a dimmer switch.
• Instead of halogen light consider alternatives such as floor and bench lamps fitted with CFLs.
• If replacing low voltage halogen lights, an electrician will be needed to convert the lights.
• An emerging technology is LED downlights (LED downlights retail between $30 and $100 each but last up to 50,000 hours). They are currently available from specialist environment stores and online retailers. While they are currently quite expensive and the light output and quality may be less than halogen downlights, performance and price is improving all the time.
Lighting tips
• Natural light is free and the most energy efficient lighting source
• Turn lights off when you don’t need them.
• Replace standard incandescent globes with energy-saving compact fluorescent globes, particularly in high-use areas, and make sure you use the lowest wattage light needed.
• Use programmable timers, daylight sensors or movement sensors to control outdoor and security lighting.
• For outdoor garden lighting, try solar-powered lights.

Benefits of LED lightbulbs  
Long-lasting - LED bulbs last up to 10 times as long as compact fluorescents, and far longer than typical incandescents.
Durable - since LEDs do not have a filament, they are not damaged under circumstances when a regular incandescent bulb would be broken. Because they are solid, LED bulbs hold up well to jarring and bumping.
Cool - these bulbs do not cause heat build-up; LEDs produce 3.4 btu's/hour, compared to 85 for incandescent bulbs. This also cuts down on air conditioning costs in the home.
Mercury-free - no mercury is used in the manufacturing of LEDs.
More efficient - LED light bulbs use only 2-10 watts of electricity (1/3rd to 1/30th of Incandescent or CFL) Small LED flashlight bulbs will extend battery life 10 to 15 times longer than with incandescent bulbs. Also, because these bulbs last for years, energy is saved in maintenance and replacement costs. For example, many cities in the US are replacing their incandescent traffic lights with LED arrays because the electricity costs can be reduced by 80% or more.
Cost-effective - although LEDs are expensive, the cost is recouped over time and in battery savings. For the AC bulbs and large cluster arrays, the best value comes from commercial use where maintenance and replacement costs are expensive.
Light for remote areas - because of the low power requirement for LEDs, using solar panels becomes more practical and less expensive than running an electric line or using a generator for lighting.
Choosing an LED lightbulb   Many different models and styles of LED bulbs are emerging in today's marketplace. When choosing a bulb, keep in mind the following:

• Estimate desired wattage - read the package to choose desired illumination level. For example, a 3W LED is equivalent in output to a 45 W incandescent.
• Choose between warm and cool light - new LED bulbs are available in 'cool' white light, which is ideal for task lighting, and 'warm' light commonly used for accent or small area lighting.
• Standard base or pin base - LEDs are available in several types of 'pin' sockets or the standard "screw' (Edison) bases for recessed or track lighting.
• Choose between standard and dimmable bulbs - some LED bulbs, such as the LumiSelect series, are now available as dimmable bulbs.

The common styles of LED bulbs include the following: