With the impending ban on incandescent lighting now 12 months ahead of schedule, electricians are in prime position to educate the public on energy-saving lighting – the pros and the cons.

In an effort to educate the masses, environmental organisation Planet Ark and lighting manufacturer Philips Lighting Australia have come together to reinforce the positive benefits of and remove any doubt surrounding energy saving lighting solutions.

Together they are urging consumers and businesses to understand energy efficient lighting and to embrace this contemporary technology for the environment.
Currently, there is a great deal of misinformation about energy saving lighting in Australia.

Philips Lighting general manager Michael Downie says, “Energy saving lighting options have come a long way since they were first developed and the perceptions that some consumers have about them are now old-fashioned.

“But the energy saving lighting options available today do not compromise on looks, technology or efficiency.”

Philips has compiled an extensive array of information relating to incandescent minimum energy performance standards (MEPS) and placed it on its website. The company also conducts training on energy efficient products through its Philips Master Contractor program.

“Electricians need to know about the seven myths of energy saver lighting so they are adequately informed and able to answer questions that may be asked by their customers in both commercial and residential applications,” says marketing manager Stephen Higgs.

“By stocking and installing these products they are able to offer the most energy efficient retrofit product available as replacement for standard incandescent, which is being phased-out now.”

According to Planet Ark research director Paul Klymenko, consumers ask a lot of questions about the imminent ban of incandescent lighting and the reliability, quality and versatility of energy saver lighting.

“Incandescent bulbs are based on old technology, and about 95% of energy is wasted as heat. Given the seriousness of the energy/climate change issue, it is not sustainable to continue with the incandescent lamp,” he says.

“Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) have many long term advantages for consumers and businesses and despite a number of myths floating around, they are the best option and can cater to a variety of lighting needs.”

The two companies have outlined what they consider to be the seven myths of energy saver lighting that seem to concern consumers most, and have worked to dispel the stigma surrounding each.

Electricians would be wise to familiarise themselves with these points to counter any questions they face on a jobsite.

Myth-busting: What you need to know

Myth 1: They’re too expensive

This is like saying a modern fuel-efficient car is expensive compared to an old V8 gas-guzzler. That’s because you would be ignoring the energy (petrol) costs of running it.

Replacing incandescent with good quality CFL’s is one of the best money saving investments you will ever make in the long run.

Myth 2: They’re ugly

While beauty is in the eye of the beholder, it is fair to say that until recently the design of CFLs was very different from traditional bulbs. There are many new designs that are much more aesthetically appealing and, in many cases, are more compact.

Myth 3: They can’t be dimmed

This used to be true, but a range of dimmable CFL options are now available. These will work on the majority of dimmer circuits and are available in different colours and as bayonet or screw fittings.

Myth 4: They don’t last as long as they say

The high quality brands will usually last more than the stated average life of 6,000 hours and usually come with some form of guarantee.

It is often the cheaper, no-name brands that are less reliable as they use much lower quality components – you get what you pay for.

Myth 5: They give a harsh white light

This is only partly true and is caused by many consumers being unaware that CFL’s come in variety of colours and therefore pick the wrong CFL for the task.

Myth 6: A broken globe can contaminate your entire home

This is one of the great urban myths and is wrong – to have a chance of making this myth possible you would have to break a globe daily in every room of your house and not open the windows.

High quality bulbs tend to contain lower levels of mercury than some of the cheaper, less reliable brands – CFL bulbs have been used safely around the world for over 25 years.

Myth 7: They contain mercury, which makes them worse for the environment

It is so important that we all care for our environment. By switching to CFLs you will actually prevent much more toxic mercury from being released into the air from coal-fired power plants than is contained in the energy saver bulbs themselves.