Watt’s Up With Energy-Saving Light Bulbs?

By Marc Lallanilla, About.com Guide

The incandescent bulbs that illuminated the 20th century is about to go off -- permanently. And good riddance, say energy experts. Incandescent bulbs turn a paltry 5 to 10% of the energy they consume into light -- the rest is wasted as heat. They’re still wildly popular, though, because they’re cheap, easily available, dimmable, fit most conventional lighting fixtures, and cast a nice warm tone. But newer technologies are getting better and cheaper by the minute, so don’t expect these old designs to be around much longer. In fact, some cities and countries have started to ban their use.

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• Incandescent Bulbs
• Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs)
• Halogens
• LED Lights (LEDs)
• Plasma Lights
• Sunlight

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