Old-style incandescent light bulbs turn 95 percent of the electricity they consume into heat. Only 5 percent is turned into light. With compact fluorescents (CFLs) the figures are about 80 percent heat and 20 percent light. That’s a big difference. So replacing old-style bulbs with CFLs is worthwhile – especially for lights that burn for a long time.
For our test, we wanted to see how the energy-saver bulbs compared with standard bulbs for light output, and how long they lasted after being switched on and off continually. Most of the bulbs we tested were CFLs – the best of them had a much higher light output (were much brighter) than the equivalent standard bulb and had a long life as well.
About our test
Our lighting test in action
We wanted to see if the CFLs and the halogens were as “bright” as the bulbs they replaced. So we put two samples of 17 CFLs into a special test rig and compared the total light output of each model with the average of the light outputs of seven different 100W incandescent bulbs. We then used a similar process for two energy-saver halogens (the difference being that their light output was compared with the average of two different 60W incandescents).
We also put three samples of all 19 bulbs (CFLs and halogens) into a special rig which switched the bulbs on for five minutes and off for five minutes 10,000 times. The bulbs were continuously monitored so we could tell if and when they failed.
For details of how all the bulbs performed, see the Test results.
Read what our members have to say close
To save money on essentials and make buying decisions easy, you can't go past Consumer. We're proud to have over 65,000 members all enjoying our independent information online or in Consumer magazine.
Here's what some of them say...
"Just wanted to let you know that I find your site excellent! Easy to find my way around, everything at my fingertips - just a click away.
I only took out a 3 month membership as I wasn't sure but it is actually really easy to use and if I want it on paper I can print the
reports. Thanks again".
Denise Watkinson - Waitakere
"My mother (74) got a renewal letter from her insurance company for her car insurance, wanting $570. After reading
your article on car insurance, I contacted one of the companies you recommended, who quoted her $318 for the same
level of cover. I just wanted to stay thank you very much for your article, as it has saved my mother a substantial amount of money".
Adrian Lane - Kapiti Coast
"I've been a member to the magazine since 1997 and enjoy reading it a lot. I've found lots of helpful information on different issues...
Thank you for being so helpful".
Peter Kovalenko - Porirua
"I have been a member of the Consumer NZ for 20 or more years and have enjoyed much reliable advice.
I turn to their tests before making significant purchases".
Lyndal Print – Auckland
Join Consumer now and make your decisions easy on a huge range of products and services
- Over 500 reports, plus interactive tools and calculators
- Independent advice from NZ's trusted source of information
- Join over 65,000 members who help us get all NZers a fairer deal
from just $25
Previous: Introduction
