The small frugal changes we make to our lifestyle eventually add up to big savings. A coupon here. A light bulb there. I believe every penny counts.
A few years ago, I switched out the majority of the light bulbs in our home to CFL’s. They are not my favorite, but they do save money in the long run. Since incandescent bulbs will eventually be phased out completely, a switch is inevitable. But the mercury is a concern, along with the hassle of recycling those funny coiled bulbs.
Enter a new alternative – the halogen bulb, now available from Sylvania. The Sylvania halogen SUPERSAVER light bulb emits the same bright white light as regular incandescent bulbs, but uses up to 33% less energy.
Did I mention they are also mercury-free? Huge plus for worried moms like me! With a familiar shape and dimmable features, these bulbs can also fit easily into pre-existing accent lights, track lights, or other fixtures, making them a great transition light bulb for families.
I recently replaced the annoyingly dim bulb in my family room lamp with a 43-watt Sylvania bulb. It is the equivalent of a 60-watt incandescent, and just as bright. Pretty impressive!
Sylvania Supersavers are available at Menards, BJ’s and even on Amazon. Prices start at $4.29 for a 2 pack.
You can also take Sylvania’s 40 For the Future Earth Day Challenge for a chance to win daily prizes and learn more about energy-efficient changes we can make at home. What will you do to save energy this month?
Disclosure: I received a 2 pack of bulbs and a gift card to participate in this blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Sylvania. As always, all thoughts and words are my own.
For more frugal ways, visit Life As Mom and Mrs. Moneysaver
{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
These light bulbs sound fantastic! I use the CFL’s, but the mercury scares me half-to-death, too. This is a wonderful alternative. I’m also glad to see they can be purchased on Amazon, as I do not have a Menard’s or BJ’s anywhere near me!
Amy@Amy Loves It!´s last blog ..New Addition
[Reply]
My husband just bought some of these. I love the fact that they are mercury free. I like the light on these much better than some of the others that we have used.
[Reply]
Awesome! I have been dragging my feet on changing completely over to the CFL’s mostly for that reason (and that I don’t like the government telling me which light bulbs I have to use).
This info really ‘brightens’ my day!
~traci
Traci´s last blog ..My Cup of Tea
[Reply]
Oh, this sounds so cool! We had a whole long discussion about it http://frugalplayground.com/?p=578 and I came to the conclusion of NOT buying CFL’s. I’ll give these a try, thanks!
Kimberly´s last blog ..Free events around Des Moines this weekend…
[Reply]
Do these new Halogen bulbs get very hot, Alyssa? I remember the old halogen floor lamp that I got rid of because bugs land on the light bulb and then start cooking (with a nice little stream of smoke rising rising up). These bulbs sounds awesome, but I wouldn’t want to burn my lampshades.
[Reply]
Alyssa Francis Reply:
April 3rd, 2010 at 7:03 pm
Kim,
Yes, I do remember I had a halogen torchier lamp where that was the case. These bulbs are quite different from the floor lamp style.
I went and compared the heat factor of a regular incandescent bulb to the new halogen after your comment and I truly do not notice much of a difference at all. They are both hot!
Great question, by the way, I did not even think to check the heat factor! I love your geeky mind.
[Reply]
Thanks for posting about this ’cause I use one of the coily ones in my office and I thought I got the wrong wattage or something ’cause it’s so dim. It’s good to know there is an alternative that’s safe, green and cost effective. Cool post.
[Reply]
Yes, I too have read that they burn hotter and that could be a concern. As with anything, there are always pros and cons so I would recommend researching to further your knowledge, which is what I always do if I see one-sided info about something.
Thanks for the advertisement though, it’s nice to see the options and that there is some “middle ground” between the inefficient bulbs and the CFL bulbs containing mercury. That is a real concern with me as well, and I had actually recently decided to switch back since we had a scare with a bulb almost breaking.
Crystal Brothers´s last blog ..50 FREE 4×6 Photo Prints!!! (Don’t even pay shipping!)
[Reply]
Read about why these light bulbs are dangerous to your health and why you should not have them in your house especially if you have children in the home in the January 2010 Prevention magazine article “Electroshocker.” CFL’s are considers “dirty electricity.”
[Reply]
Alyssa Francis Reply:
April 3rd, 2010 at 6:58 pm
Hi Elaine,
I just checked out the article you recommended. I was not aware that CFL’s are now considered dangerous. That is really good to know, and it was an eye-opening article.
However, the bulbs I tried are halogen, an alternative to CFL’s that still saves money. I did some extra research after my post, and overall, they do seem like a much safer alternative to CFL’s.
[Reply]
I can’t wait to give these bulbs a try! As a side note, I did a lot of research on CFL’s. Elaine can you provide a link to the article? From what I have read, they do contain mercury, but about 1% of the amount that is in a mercury thermometer. And I know plenty of us grew up with those in our house. You do have to take some precautions if they break, but no HazMat team is required. I just think the “danger” level can be a bit overdone. But if there is more recent research on them I would love to see it.
Amber´s last blog ..Is BPA really all that bad?
[Reply]
Since you’ve been using those bulbs for awhile now, have you noticed that they get extra hot? Remember those old halogen lamps that were a fire hazard back in the day?
Kimberly´s last blog ..Free CFL bulbs?!
[Reply]
Oh shoot, nevermind I see someone else already asked about that.
Kimberly´s last blog ..Free CFL bulbs?!
[Reply]