How do Energy Saving Lightbulbs Work?

When it comes to eco products, the ones that most of us are familiar with and that seem to get the most attention are energy saving lightbulbs. Energy saving lightbulbs are bulbs that require less energy in order to light up the same sized room adequately which is of course eco friendly as it means that you aren’t using up as much electricity (and so you are contributing less to the amount of fossil fuels burned) as well as being a great way to save money as you will be charged less by your electricity supplier. But how do these eco friendly light bulbs work? And what is different about them that means they won’t use up as much energy?

Interestingly, the differences between energy saving lightbulbs and ‘regular’ lightbulbs is quite great and the two are fundamentally different. This is because energy saving lightbulbs are fluorescent while ‘regular’ lightbulbs are incandescent. One major difference between these too which of interest for those going green is that incandescent bulbs come with different wattage outputs and typically these will be 40, 60 or 100 watts. For going green this is useful to know as this number reflects just how much energy your light bulb will be using every hour. So the higher your wattage the more power you are using – if you’re not ready to switch to energy saving lightbulbs then you should at least use a lower wattage where possible and bear this in mind when buying lamps.

Now with energy saving lightbulbs this is even more eco friendly. These work via the tubes they have which are filled with mercury vapour gas and a phosphorous coating. The electricity then sends a charge through this which makes the mercury vapour give off ultra violet light in turn stimulating the phosphorous coating to give off ‘regular’ light. In other words, a reaction is taking place inside the tubes which means that unlike regular lightbulbs there is no need for large amounts of power to create the light.

This is far more eco friendly of course and that means that buying energy savers is great for going green. At the same time they can be fitted into most regular lamps so anyone can use them, and they’re a great investment as though they are slightly more expensive to buy in the first place they will last much longer than regular bulbs.

31 comments

  1. I think that everyone should invest in these. I have bought some that I have had for maybe about a year and they are still going strong. I bought mine at the dollar tree for a dollar each. I know other places are expensive but for a dollar each you can not go wrong.

  2. Yes I am telling your that these really do work. I have used them for the past few years and I have been saving lots of money. Anyone who gets the cheap ones from Walmart are thinking they are saving money. But when you have to change them all the time you do not . And it does save on your light bill.

  3. I did not know that energy saving lightbulbs were so beneficial. Looks like tomorrow I will be making a trip to Target to purchase some. I like the idea of saving money and helping save the earth at the same time. So happy I stumbled upon this site.

  4. These lightbulbs are a great way to save money. You may pay a bit more for them in the beginning, But when you only have to change the bulbs every once in a while you are saving. Plus it is a way to save on your monthly electric bill.

  5. I have become hooked on the energy saving lightbulbs. I got a package free because I won a contest that I entered. It had four bulbs in it. I have not had to change them in months. I decided this was the way to go and have been buying them since.

  6. I started buying these lightbulbs when they were first introduced. At first they were on the pricey side, but now I can get them at my local Dollar Tree. Some say it is crazy to pay $1 per bulb when you can get a 4 pack for $1 but they do help you save on your light bill. Plus they are helping to save the earth so it is well worth it.

  7. These lightbulbs really do work well. Some may think that they will not save you money but they do. My lightbill has went down since starting to use them a few months ago. they also last a lot longer than a regular bulb.

  8. I have always bought the regular 4 pack from the store. Spend a dollar and they last for a while. Really cheap. I guess now I will be getting some of these since they last longer. And if they help the envirnoment that is all the better as well.

  9. I have never bought these before. But I may have to try a few out since they work so well for others on here. I guess I like to save money. But I do not want to pay a lot for a lightbulb either.

  10. These lightbulbs really do work great. I have purchased them for years. They last forever and do make the bill on your electricity go down. I urge everyone to use them.

  11. I really do not care how they work. What impresses me is the fact that I bought a few from the dollar store for only $1 each. Figured they would last a month or two. Guess what? They have been working for well over a year now. Definetley got my use out of them.

    1. Yeah, energy saving lightbulbs are not at all expensive. They are a very very good investment. They are much better than regular bulbs. Energy saving lightbulbs also last much longer. And among these, they are using less energy.

  12. I never realized that you could save so much by buying these. I always just bought the cheap 4 pack for less than $1. And within a month I am changing them out. I guess it is time for a change. I will be getting some of these for sure.

  13. I am stuck on these lightbulbs. Never again will I buy the regular ones. They only last a short while. I have had some energy efficient ones for a while now and they work great. I do not miss changing the bulbs all the time either.

  14. Yes yes yes. they do really work. I have been a fan of them for a few years now. I have not had to change one yet. They are great at saving me time and energy and best of all they are great for the planet.

  15. The only lightbulbs I have bought over the past few years have been energy ones. They work great and really do not cost that much. People are so concerned saying they cost so much but they do not really. If you hardly ever have to replace them then it is worth it.

  16. I bought these for every room in our house. I have not had to change one yet. So that is a time saver and money saver all in one. They work great and you can not really even tell they are the energy saving light bulbs.

  17. Energy saving light bulbs are the best eco products. In my opinion they are the first thing to buy when you want to start going green. They are the cheapest investment to start with. Also energy saving light bulbs are saving a lot of energy therefore money too. They are on the first place on my top green products.

    1. I too think that energy saving light bulbs are the first thing to buy when you want to be green. They are the best green products. They are easy to buy and easy to use. You just replace your regular bulbs with energy saving light bulbs. You don’t have to do anything else, just buy them.

  18. I hadn’t known many things about the energy saving light bulbs. I hadn’t even known the difference between the energy saving light bulbs and the regular ones. I don’t think it is very important to know how they work. It is more important to buy them. It is important to be green.

  19. For a year I’ve been using only energy saving light bulbs. They are indeed a good investment. I don’t really know how the energy saving light bulbs work and I don’t care. I only know they are an easy way to be green because they save energy. We all should use them instead of the regular ones.

  20. We all should replace our regular bulbs with energy saving light bulbs. We all should care more about the environment. If we care about us, we should strongly think about harming less the environment.
    Energy saving light bulbs are something which help us to start going green. They are the easiest way.

    1. Hi, I agree with you regarding energy saving light bulbs. We all should take this advice. It is so difficult to buy different kinds of bulbs? Instead of buying regular bulbs, to buy energy saving light bulbs? I think is not so difficult.

  21. Guys you haven’t replaced the bulbs with energy saving light bulbs yet? For 2 years I’ve been using only energy saving light bulbs. I assure you they are a good investment. But I cannot believe there are still people who are not using energy saving light bulbs. Common people, wake up.

  22. I believe that there should not exit regular bulbs anymore. They must be removed from the market. This way, people would be forced to buy energy saving light bulbs because they don’t have any other options. Do you know if this will happen soon? I think this is the best idea to make people understand that energy saving light bulbs are better.

  23. Energy saving light bulbs are great inventions. Shame on those people who are not using them. I too blame those people. I cannot understand what are they thinking. Why aren’t they using the energy saving light bulbs and prefer the regular ones?

  24. Have you thought that there are still people who haven’t even heard about the energy saving light bulbs? You are trying to make us understand how the energy saving light bulbs work, but there are people who don’t know how they look. What can we do for them?
    I too think that the regular bulbs should be removed from the market. This way, those people will use energy saving light bulbs too.

  25. I knew that energy saving lightbulbs are fluorescent. What I didn’t know is from what energy saving lightbulbs were made. I didn’t know that those tubes are filled with mercury vapor gas and a phosphorous coating. It sounds very scientific. Interesting fact to know.

  26. Energy saving light bulbs are of course on first place among top green products. They are probably one of the best inventions. Everyone is using light no? So everybody needs lightbulbs. So why not use energy saving lightbulbs and save energy?

  27. I have used these lightbulbs for a while now and love them. I would never go back to any other ones. These really do a last a lot longer than others do so if you pay more, then it is fine. They will last so much longer than the old ones you have now.

  28. these things are great for the environment yes but they can also cause health problems. long exposure to these lights can cause the following: mild to severe headaches, depression, tinnitus, restlessness at night, poor memory/memory loss, muscle joint pains, stress and pain in the eyes. Now I am stuck between healthy body or healthy environment.

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