Which light bulb is right for you?

Up until fairly recently, you did not have to put a great deal of thought into your choice of domestic light bulb, as not only was energy a lot cheaper, but also incandescent bulbs were the only type available.

Nowadays, of course, there are all sorts of different bulbs on the market, each with their own set of advantages and disadvantages. There are three main types of bulb technology currently in use domestically - CFLs, LEDs, and incandescents. Here we discuss the pros and cons of each type so that you can make an informed decision.

The incandescent bulb has been with us for around a century and a half, and has changed little in that time. The light in an incandescent bulb is produced by putting an electrical current through a filament until it glows white hot. The glass bulb itself prevents this white hot filament from catching fire by preventing oxygen, a vital component of any combustion reaction, from getting anywhere near it.

The most apparent advantage of incandescent bulbs over their modern equivalents is that they are by far the cheapest to buy. However, they represent something of a false economy, as they are remarkably energy inefficient when compared to the other two types, and unless you are only planning to use these bulbs very occasionally, or over a fairly short period of time, it is unlikely that you will be able to save any money with these bulbs.

Once a boutique product for keen environmentalists, but now a mass market product, the compact fluorescent bulb, often called energy savers, are now almost as cheap to buy as incandescent bulbs, but last a lot longer and use far less energy, due to the fact that they generate a lot less heat than their incandescent equivalents.

Although they require far less in the way of energy than incandescent bulbs, they do contain some quite toxic chemicals, and are more damaging to the environment when they are disposed of, which takes some of the shine off their environmental credentials.

The newest kid on the light bulb block is the Light Emitting Diode(LED) bulb. Although LED technology has been with us for a good while, it is only comparatively recently that the technology has been developed to the point where it has become a viable lighting source.

These are far more energy efficient, longer lasting, and kind to the environment than either of the other two types, and without a doubt represent the next logical step in lighting technology. However, due to the fact that they are a relatively new technology, they are a lot more expensive to buy than either CFLs or incandescents, although they are expected to come down in price over the next few years.

At the moment, unless you have the funds to kit your house out with LEDs, CFLs remain the best buy, although you can expect this to change over the coming years.