What is an energy saving light bulb?
Put simply, an energy saving light bulb is one that uses less power to produce the same brightness as a "traditional" bulb, meaning less electricity is used which in turn means lower energy bills for you.
In the home, traditional bulbs are usually either incandescent (or tungsten filament bulbs), usually found in pendant lights or table lamps, or halogen bulbs, usually found in spotlights and downlighters. Because they produce a lot of heat, traditional bulbs waste a lot of their energy.
The most common type of energy saving light bulbs are known as compact fluorescent (or CFL) and work in the same way as fluorescent lights; an electric current passes through gas in a tube, making the tubes coating glow brightly. This means that they use less energy and are cool to the touch. There are also low energy Osram IRC GU10 Energy Saving Halogen bulbs available as well as LED ultra energy saving light bulbs.
The phrases energy efficient, energy saver and low energy are just different terms for energy saving light bulbs.
What sort of energy saving light bulb do I need?
This depends on what type of traditional light bulb you are replacing. If you are replacing an incandescent bulb, energy saving bulbs can look almost identical to traditional bulbs.
We stock a wide range of compact energy saving light bulbs, so if you have light bulbs such as candles or golfballs bulb, you will be able to find a suitable bulb to fit your lamp.
If you are replacing a halogen or spot light bulb, there are low energy versions of these as well. Browse our Halogen and Reflector sections to buy a replacement bulb.
What about the wattage and fittings?
Because energy saving light bulbs use less power, their wattages are different. See our Wattage Guide for more information. If you are unsure of which fitting (or cap type) you need, see our Cap Type Guide. Litebulbs.co.uk stock energy saving light bulbs in most wattages and fittings, meaning you will be able to find a bulb suitable for your requirements.