One of the reasons I hate statistics is they can say whatever you like. A $40 LED will save you $160 in e costs over the course of 25 to 32 years (provided you don't break it)? If you put $40 in a interest bearing account, you'd get a better deal, even minus the $1 every 3 years for a new standard bulb. The cost has to come down for LED to be $ smart.

CFL? A little mercury? Still too much, just ask the fishing industry.

New factories & jobs for the new bulbs? Sure, but the old factories that aren't being converted are being closed, & once the majority of bulbs are the longer lasting types...we'll need fewer than before, so cumulative job loss. We still need a better option.

@keygirlus, even without the Philips statistic from the Washington Post article, it does make sense that if you only have to buy ONE bulb over 25 years rather than a ton of incandescents, you are probably very likely to save money in the long run. Also, new LEDs are extremely durable and much harder to break. They're not fragile like standard glass bulbs.

This FAQ is a great start! Thanks for lots of info I hadn't seen before. I'm really anxious to see the actual comparisons.

I'm reminded of a couple years ago when CA put in place energy efficiency standards for TVs. People screamed and moaned that TVs were going to be more expensive and it probably couldn't be done at an equal cost. Only problem was one manufacturer was already doing it and at the same price point! I really believe manufacturers will accomplish what they need to when they're made to do so. And they'll do it eventually at a reasonable price point because they want to sell product.

I have don't have any incandescent bulbs in my house and I can't wait for them to be gone. With all the new options there is zero reason to. I switched to CFLs a long time ago. I have never had any issues with breaking, the fact that they are not instant on hardly bothers me, but the newer ones don't really have this issue. You can get them in warmer tones. AND by cutting down energy use, they end up putting LESS mercury into the air that YOU BREATH. I'm not sure if people are going around breaking bulbs all the time, but in the last 10 years I think i've broken one light bulb.

For the couple of fixtures that I had been holding on to, incandescent bulbs, I have now switched those to Halogens i got at Ikea, and love them. Recently, I replace a couple of CFLS with LEDS. They are not nearly as expensive as people make them out to be. If you are spending 40 dollars on a light bulb you are spending too much. I bought two of these bulbs for 10 dollars each and they work great! http://store.earthled.com/products/earthled-zetalux-2-sale There are other LEDs that you can get at a similar price point: http://www.dealextreme.com/c/led-light-bulbs-907

Jose A, you are right! Not all LEDs cost $40. This new bulb from Philips costs $40, but with all the state and municipality rebate programs, you can save up to $25, so the cost really goes down.

I still want to hear more details of the lights, the tests and the criteria. I get the sinking sensation that this is going to be a subjective rather than objective test. I stopped following the year in bed for exactly that reason, but at least it was admitted to being a subjective test.

If you're taking suggestions for tests to run, I recommend you put each light through a power surge.

When an old CFL burned out after 3 years, I thought that was odd. I replaced it with a freebie CFL and did not expect much. But not only is the freebie brighter than my old bulb, it was bright instantly. Yay!

1 question though: where do I get rid of the old one? I have it in a holding pattern near the door..

@YoNella, Home Depot accepts all CFLs for recycling!

"new technologies have made CFLs practically unrecognizable from their ill-reputed ancestors. The start-up time is practically instantaneous"

actually that is not true-- the apartment complex i live in the owners have mandated that replacement of all new light bulbs before the end of the year to comply with regulations given to owners who get any financial assistance from the federal govt. (they have 40 some complexes in 5 states)

anyhow i had one light bulb burn out in the restroom.. they came to replace the lights.. and used the newest version of cfl lights.. then recommended i leave the lights on for at least ten minutes at a time .. because of the 'warm up' period.. i timed it myself.. from a cold light bulb.. to being fully lit is approximately two minutes.. you go from dim light to brighter than incandescent lights... this is the restroom..mind you.. imagine that if you have to get up in the dark.. it can be very daunting.. lol

so no.. its not instant that or that its barely noticeable .. it is very noticeable.

@residentgeek, I'd be very curious to find out the brand of that bulb, as we could add it to our testing lineup. I just went to a Lightbulb showcase this past week and saw side by side bulb comparisons (incandescent and CFL), and the turn-on WAS instantaneous. There were a few different brands that achieved this. Do tell and I will look into it further!

I have yet to find a CFL that looks as nice as an incandescent, though. The lighting is just too harsh for my taste, even though I do use them.

Cambria, residentgeek may have been referring to the bulbs that do actually turn on instantaneously, but at a VERY dim level and then progressively get brighter over a period of time. I have this type in my master closet and don't care for them at all because it is very difficult to pick clothes out using the initial dim lighting.

"No! As we wrote in last week's post, incandescent light bulbs are not being banned."
Later... "After January 1, 2012, manufacturers will no longer be able to make and sell general-use 100-watt incandescent light bulbs."

You can't have it both ways. Either they're banning incandescents, or they're not. The 2nd statement makes it clear that the law DOES ban incandescents, at least the 100W variety. Sure, they're not banning 72W bulbs that put out the same light level as a 100W, but the law does effectively ban 100W light bulbs.

"Similar restrictions will eventually go into place for 75-, 60- and 40-watt bulbs in 2013 and 2014." Indicating that eventually, incandescent bulbs that use 75W, 60W, and even 40W will be effectively banned, regardless of the spin.

The letter of the law demands that light bulb manufacturers produce incandescents which generate the same amount of light at a lower wattage, which is admirable; however, the spirit of the law is that "normal" 100-, 75-, 60-, and 40-watt incandescents will be banned by 2014. You can't get past it; it may be wearing lipstick, but this law is still a pig.

I've got two issues with CFLs (thus far, LEDs are rich for my blood):
1. I tried CFLs in the kitchen ceiling fixture of my 1955 atomic ranch. Their weight pulled on the fixture till it damaged the wiring. This has happened in more than one fixture.
2. The CFLs have not lasted anything *close* to their supposed lifespans.
Oh, and 3. Just replaced the one in the pitch dark garage -- definitely starts dim then gets brighter over several minutes. Creepy and inconvenient. And, btw, when I tried to take it down using the lightbulb attachment for the extended reach tool, it didn't go on the bulb easily. When I tried to twist it on, it broke the CFL - my bad -- don't do that!!

Can anyone answer this question for me? I have bought many CFL's over my lifetime and have always been disappointed. The main issue is that they just aren't that bright. Despite the package claims of putting out equivalent lumens for less wattage, once you plug it in, it never adds up. Perhaps, the way they measure lumens counts photons that are in a spectrum that cannot actually be perceived by the human eye and therefore should not be measured. Or perhaps we should have a rating of "perceived lumens". Any physics experts here?

Until doomsday, I am stocking up on incandescents and 500W halogens for my "known fire risk" halogen torchiere (which I love so much).

Roy

Thanks for great article...full of good info. I have many LEDs purchased from EarthLED in my home (laundry room, bathrooms, bedrooms, kitchen, outdoor) and have noticed a definite reduction in energy consumption without the quality of my lighting being reduced. The company's website www.earthled.com has detailed information and specs about their products and will more than likely answer most questions. Their prices are competitive with the retail giants and the 3-year warranty for their bulbs is certainly an added bonus. Usually things worth doing, such as changing over from incandescents to LEDs, aren’t always easy, however, in the long run it almost always pays off.

Lightbulbs that last for years and years can be kind of frustrating when you're experimenting with something new. I bought a new fixture to replace a broken one in my new bedroom, and it came with a CLF that had a G-24 base. It's very harsh, given that it's an attic room with a low ceiling. But it says it's 2700K, which is supposed to be warm white. It's a 100Watt equivalent, and I think a 75 or 60 watt equivalent would be much more comfortable, given that the room also has a few lamps. And I can find a G-24 bulb at that wattage at my local home improvement store. But the bulb that came with the fixture will last 3-5 years. If I replace it, what can I do with it? None of the other fixtures in my house can use that base. I'm putting up with substandard light, because I feel guilty about throwing a perfectly good (but too bright) bulb in the recycling!

I, too, am waiting for LED prices to come down. $40 spent today might save $160 over the next three decades, but $10 spent in 2015 will probably save $150 -- and you'll likely get a better bulb, too.

I pay a slight premium to source my electricity from wind power, and live in a small home -- I feel comfortable waiting it out.

Some of us DO break lightbulbs frequently. Especially when moving, which some do more often than others. Broke a CFL over my computer keyboard while unpacking a box. I'm sure there are still traces of mercury there where I put my hands ... hate to think about it, figure I'm then eating mercury later.

Hate the idea of more mercury in my immediate environment. The mercury we get from the fish we eat is already giving us high mercury levels with unhealthy consequences. I get that it is important to save energy, but I think we are trading one poison (increased power plant emissions) for another (increased mercury in our homes, and thus our bodies) - it is hard to argue that's progress from a health point of view.

Also, if you live in older buildings in a city, you likely experience what I always have ... incandescent bulbs that die with an audible 'ping' when you walk into a room and turn on the light .. long before they should die. Maybe it is related to power surges, maybe to old faulty wiring; I've always suspected that static electricity had something to do with it, as it seems to happen more frequently in the winter when the house is dry with the heat on.

Rewire, you say, and I would, if I owned a house. Hard to do when you rent, or own in an old building with old wiring and insufficient power, both of which are all I've done in my adult life. In NYC, even in expensive rentals, coops, and condos, if the building is old, the wiring is likely to be many decades old, and the power suppplied to old buildings about half (or less) than what is recommended for the number of units in the building. (You can ask any building inspector - I found this out when looking to buy a place, and was quite shocked.) I suspect tests are done under optimum wiring and power supply conditions. Get ready to replace expensive bulbs frequently if you don't control your wiring and building power supply.

Hate to say it, but I think it may be time to start hoarding 100w bulbs, and to treat them with extra special care when I move.

Expect this will effect boomers and older folks more. I used to read with a 60 or 75 watt bulb, never bought 100w ones. Now my bedside lamp has a 100w bulb, and I'm looking for a 3-way 150w lamps I like, as reading is harder even in this light.

It is a documented fact that less and less light enters our eyes as we age. Which finally explains why as a child, my parents were always telling me not to read in dim places or I'd ruin my eyes - I could see to read just fine in the light, but they, in their 40s by then, couldn't.

You can bet it isn't the elderly (which we are all headed for if we live that long), that are setting these standards, without considering things like brightness, quality of light, initial dimness, etc. Let's hope the technology continues to evolve.

The "harshness" of the CFL is because it pulses 120 times per second, whenever the AC voltage crosses zero volts. You can see the same "harshness" in LED Christmas lights. For LED lights it pulses 60 times per second while on AC, since there is no light output when the voltage is on the negative-half of the cycle.

If you can move a dimmed LED light quickly back and forth you will see pulses. It also works with LED flashlights when they are not on full brightness. This is actually "pulse-width modulation" used to dim the LED output. It is much quicker than 120 times per second, so it is not so annoying.

I HAVE TO DISAGREE. Daylight CFL is nothing like Daylight incandescent. There should be no blue, the blue should be filtered out. Daylight CFL light quality is exactly like that of a cold tube light. Eeyech.

I'm curious - how is the testing going?

I’m sooo sick of people whining about the color of light that their light bulb gives off. CFL light is too cold and harsh? Get over yourself! Seriously, who has the time/energy to worry about light? Get over it and buy the CFL or LED.

I'm just always reminded of last winter when they realized that they new LED treetlights that they put up in some Wisconsin towns were getting so covered by snow that the lights were no longer visible. The old bulbs had produced enough heat to melt the snow, but the new ones didn't produce the heat. No one thought about that happening!