Edison’s incandescent lightbulb hasn’t changed a great deal in more than a century but the latest sales figures show that the incandescent hasn’t lost its glow. Despite rebates and promotions, shipments of compact fluorescent lightbulbs dropped for the fifth consecutive quarter, while shipments of incandescent bulbs increased for the second straight quarter, according to NEMA, a trade group representing lightbulb manufacturers.
Incandescent bulbs command 80 percent of the incandescent-CFL market, the highest share since late 2007. NEMA doesn’t publish sales indexes for LED and halogen bulbs or offer an explanation for the drop in CFL sales, but these numbers are eyebrow-raising given the phase out of incandescent bulbs that begin nationwide on January 1, 2012, with 100-watt bulbs.
Several factors are at play, according to Terry McGowan, director of engineering for the American Lighting Association, a trade group. CFLs cost more upfront than incandescent bulbs and in this economy consumers are carefully watching their spending. The mercury in CFLs has scared off some consumers, and cleaning up a broken CFL is more work than usual, if you follow the guidelines from the Environmental Protection Agency. Another inconvenience is that CFLs should not be tossed in the trash but properly recycled.
Here’s what we found in our recent tests of 26 CFLs and 10 LEDS. Many of the problems of earlier CFLs have been overcome, and several excelled in our tests. Still, CFLs aren’t for every socket. You wouldn’t want to use them where instant light is needed, such as a staircase, or in outdoor fixtures where frigid temperatures slow their brightening. CFLs shouldn’t be used in fixtures that are frequently turned on and off since this affects the bulbs’ performance and life.
CFLs do cost more than incandescent bulbs—most tested spirals cost about $2—but our tests found that it usually takes less than a year to recoup the cost of most CFLs. From that point on you’re saving money by using less electricity, about $52 per 60-watt equivalent over a bulb’s lifetime.
As for the mercury, most CFLs we tested contained less than one milligram per bulb, but mercury is a toxin and becomes a concern if the bulb breaks, since some is released as a vapor. So don’t use CFLs in lamps that can easily be knocked over by children or pets, and handle CFLs with care. Also consider using CFLs that have a plastic coating that can contain the mercury and any shards when the bulb breaks. The top-rated spiral, GE’s Energy Smart SAF-T-Gard 60W 78961, $10, has this protective coating. If a CFL breaks, follow the EPA’s clean-up tips, and since recycling CFLs prevents them from breaking in the trash or in a landfill, recycle them at a local recycler or drop used bulbs off at Home Depot, Ikea, Lowe’s, and some Ace Hardware stores.
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