Increasingly, government regulations are recognizing the importance of conserving energy in order to make better use of the resources available on Planet Earth. Even small savings can add up when practiced by many people. For example, the European Commission recently endorsed a plan to phase out incandescent lamps by the year 2012. The hot bulbs will be replaced by energy saving lamps designed to provide cool light at a lower operating cost.

Incandescent Lamp

Although the standard light bulb has been the norm for more than one hundred years, it is no secret that they are inefficient when it comes to energy consumption. Standard bulbs are made of a clear or frosted globe with a partial vacuum inside. The base of the lamp has a very thin filament or metal wire through which electricity is passed. The filament quickly glows red and then white hot. In the process it gives off both heat and light. Unfortunately only ten percent of the energy is converted into light. The rest is released as heat, as anyone who has tried to touch a light bulb is aware.

Fluorescent Lights

The concept behind the fluorescent bulb is completely different. A fluorescent bulb has a base that attaches to the power supply, an electrode that releases its stream of electrons, and phosphor-coated glass tubes that holds mercury.

Fluorescent lamps work by generating moving atoms, thanks to the power circuit. The excited electrons that result enter the glass tubes and collide with atoms of mercury. The energy from the collision with mercury atoms is released as ultraviolet light. The inside of the glass tubes is coated with phosphor. When the UV light strikes the phosphor, it is converted into light within the visible range.

Because fluorescent lights remain cool, they only require about one-fifth as much energy to operate. The bulbs last approximately ten times as long as an incandescent bulb. That is a significant cost savings due to fewer replacements. Fluorescent lamps pay for themselves many times over. They also reduce the amount of carbon dioxide that is released into the atmosphere. Scientists estimate that over 1000 pounds of the gas is not released during the bulb’s lifetime. That is a significant amount to factor into the reduction of the rate of global warming.

LED Technology

Another developing technology is the production of light-emitting diodes (LED) as a source of light. LED’s are similar to standard incandescent lamps, except they use the electrical current directly instead of through a filament. LED’s are more expensive to produce, but last much longer than standard bulbs. Lifetime hours have been estimated as high as 100,000 hours of use. With no loss of energy due to heat, the lights are inexpensive to operate.

Utilization of Electric Lamps

Electric lights are used for decoration, as in Christmas lights. They are used to advertise products and businesses on storefronts and billboard signs. They are used to make homes bright and attractive. With lower energy consumption, homeowners and businesses can maintain the existing uses while at the same time reducing their operating costs through more efficient bulbs.

Even if you don’t subscribe to the whole concept of global warming, it just makes good sense to purchase and use energy saving lamps to light your home. You won’t need to replace bulbs as often and the cost to operate the lights will show you savings on your energy bill.

Choosing energy saving lamps in the rooms in your home that have traffic can save the you a lot of money. An energy saving lamp lasts longer than a regular lamp and they are easy to find.