Halogen Bulbs

Dimmable Halogen Light Bulbs

The clear halogen bulb is an excellent direct replacement for the standard incandescent filament bulb and will use approximately 30% less electricity. This means the wattage of the bulb can be reduced reducing electricity costs and putting less strain on the electrical circuit.
The clear globe means that the bulb produces a higher light output than with a translucent bulb and does not heat up to the same extent.
The bulb lifespan of halogen energy saving light bulbs is typically twice that of the standard incandescent bulb which gives environmental benefits by reducing landfill.
Saving Light Bulbs dimmable halogen bulbs give total control over the light level to create the correct illumination effect and you can save electricity by dimming the lights down which in turn contributes to saving the environment.
These halogen light bulbs make a very good replacement for the incandescent bulbs which are now gradually being phased out as part of the incandescent light bulb ban. As the halogen bulb is very similar in appearance and operation, halogen light bulbs make excellent like for like replacements for the incandescent filament bulbs.
The bulb types featured in this category are the Halogen Candle Bulb, the Halogen GLS, the Halogen Golf Ball and the Halogen Spot..
For more information regarding Halogen bulb savings click here: Halogen Bulb Savings Assessment

Looking at the energy savings from Halogen bulbs

Halogen bulbs are a great straight replacement to the traditional incandescent bulb and more importantly this is a necessity with the ban on incandescent bulbs gradually coming into place. The inefficient halogen bulbs of rating above E will also be phased out by 2012 and it will only be permissible to use light bulbs with a maximum efficiency rating of C. This means that with the compact sizing and good aesthetics of the Halogen light bulb they are definitely here to stay. The halogen bulb not only saves energy but it looks very similar to the traditional light bulbs with Halogen GLS bulbs being almost identical in appearance to standard GLS light bulbs and the same goes for halogen candle bulbs.

Electricity Cost Savings from Halogen Bulbs- Payback after 8 months

A halogen bulb of 28 watts will produce the equivalent light output of a 40 watt traditional incandescent light bulb. If you use 1 of these bulbs for 4 hours a day then a standard efficiency halogen light bulb will generate a saving of approximately £1.26 per year. In contrast an energy efficient halogen light bulb will save around £2.30 per annum. If you take a purchase price for the halogen bulb at £1.50 then it will pay for itself in just 8 months and from then on you will save £2.30 per year in electricity costs just for that bulb. Whilst this saving is not phenomenal then it is surely worth taking and if for example you have 50 such light bulbs in your house then the saving is then £115 per year.

The other spin off benefit of the halogen bulb from an energy efficiency perspective arises from the fact that the bulb technology is inherently dimmable. This means that a TRIAC or equivalent technology dimmer can be fitted to the circuit to allow the light level to be adjusted to the desired level. This not only improves the ambience within the room but also means that less power is consumed by the light bulbs resulting in an electricity saving.

So you might ask the question well do I hold onto my old bulbs until they fail and then replace them with energy saving light bulbs? Well looking at the above analysis then after around 1000 hours of use, which equates to around 8 months at 4 hours per day, a 28watt halogen light bulb will pay for itself. With these statistics then it is strongly recommended by Green Peace to throw away your old light bulbs and move to the new energy efficient varieties.

Whilst the electricity savings are certainly most important they do not represent the whole picture from an environmental perspective. The halogen bulb does not contain any hazardous substances, for instance mercury, which is definitely good from an environmental perspective and simplifies disposal. With the compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) bulbs then strict policies need to be adhered to for disposal whereas with halogens they can be simply placed in normal household domestic waste. Also the longer life of typically 2000 hours compared to the traditional incandescent light bulb means that landfill volumes are reduced. This means that not only can you reduce your carbon footprint but also make a positive impact on landfill.