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Since I've got quite a few different energy saving bulbs round the flat and some older 60W bulbs I thought I might write up a review to help anyone buying them. This should put a few myths to bed, let you know what the light colour and output is like and give you a rough idea of price. I hope this comes across as a positive post because I am flying the flag for energy savers and they get a lot of bad press which is not deserved.
My test procedure is basically a visual one in the same room over white sheets on a bed, comparing with an economy 60W pearl bulb for reference. I've split them into old, mid-age and new bulbs.
1. The old ones
Ikea K511/1 11W
These three are around 7 years old now and are the first of the energy savers I bought. They all still work but are slow to start (at around 2-4 seconds from switch-on) and take at least a minute to put out their full output. Light output is lower than a 60W bulb and a warm white similar in colour to the 60W pearl bulb. I think they were around £3 each.
Philips Ecotone 9W Economy Warm White
Again, these two are coming up to around 7 years old and still work, though the bases are starting to blacken. Start up is instant though they flicker on. Light output is noticeably less than a 60W bulb and slightly pink in comparison. I don't remember what we had these ones for, but they are more like a 40W pearl bulb and must have been in the lamps. They wouldn't be much good for the main light in a room.
2. The mid-age ones
Philips Genie 11W 6 year
This bulb is around 3 years old and I was disappointed with how long it lasted. It still works but the base of the tube blacked within a few months and the light output was affected, so I stopped using it. It was originally quick to come on but now flickers on immediately and the light output is now poor.
Osram Dulux Electronic 23W
This is a big beast of a bulb. It is noticeably bigger and heavier than all the other bulbs and by far the brightest of the bunch. I think it's about 3-4 years old now and still comes on near-instantly with a fraction of a second delay. Full light output is immediate and it's a fair bit brighter than a 60W pearl bulb and an identical colour. I don't have a 100W bulb to compare it to unfortunately.
Osram Dulux EL 20W 12 year
This bulb was free from somewhere about 2 years ago, claiming to equal a 100W bulb and I was disappointed with it, so don't use it. There's about a 0.25 second delay and the light output is less than a 60W pearl but about the same colour. It's a lot lighter than the 23W Osram and I suspect it's a cheaper model.
Philips Genie 11W 10 year
Another freebie, this is my favourite bulb with the best light output in my opinion. Around 2 years old. It's instant-on with good output and brightens up a bit after 15 seconds. The light output is then the same as a 60W bulb and the same colour. When it was new it was full output immediately and I was very impressed with this bulb.
3. The new ones
Philips Genie 11W 10 year
I bought these yesterday to replace the old Ikea bulbs and they were 29p each or 3 for 30p in Sainsburys. That's pretty cheap and I was immediately suspicious. They look almost identical to the the older Philips Genie I own, but the info on the side of the bulbs is not as clear or printed straight, plus the bulb is lighter in weight. They are instant-on and full output immediately, but I think the light is not quite as bright as the older Genie. It's warmer in colour so this could be what makes it appear dimmer. Both models claim 600 lumens.
The difference between the two Genie bulbs is the model number. The new one has model K0948 on the side of the bulb and order code 224077xx on the top of the box, while the older one has order code: 224169xx on the box but nothing on the bulb. Just to confuse things, of course.
So my opinion is this: You can't go wrong with the cheapy 11W Philips Genies. The light output is adequate and, most importantly, it's instant. If you want identical light and colour to a 60W pearl then look for the older Philips Genie, which I suspect is a premium model and will cost more than 30p. If you really want a bright 100W equivalent then think about a 25W bulb, but make sure it's a good quality one or you'll be disappointed and be aware that they are quite big compared to a pearl bulb.
Approximate running costs are as follows, on for approximately 3 hours a day:
100W = £12.50/yr
60W = £7.50/yr
20W = £2.50/yr
11W = £1.40/yr
So even with light use you can spend quite a lot on replacement bulbs and recoup the cost quite quickly.
Edit 01/10/10: and now the best news. We had a company science presentation at work, where departments present what science they are working on to increase awareness in the company and we're working on a British Standard for light output on these types of bulbs and the upcoming LED technology. The aim is to standardise the colour spectrum and light output and make sure bulbs are sold on their light output rather than their energy consumption. It can only be a good thing!
My test procedure is basically a visual one in the same room over white sheets on a bed, comparing with an economy 60W pearl bulb for reference. I've split them into old, mid-age and new bulbs.
1. The old ones
Ikea K511/1 11W
These three are around 7 years old now and are the first of the energy savers I bought. They all still work but are slow to start (at around 2-4 seconds from switch-on) and take at least a minute to put out their full output. Light output is lower than a 60W bulb and a warm white similar in colour to the 60W pearl bulb. I think they were around £3 each.
Philips Ecotone 9W Economy Warm White
Again, these two are coming up to around 7 years old and still work, though the bases are starting to blacken. Start up is instant though they flicker on. Light output is noticeably less than a 60W bulb and slightly pink in comparison. I don't remember what we had these ones for, but they are more like a 40W pearl bulb and must have been in the lamps. They wouldn't be much good for the main light in a room.
2. The mid-age ones
Philips Genie 11W 6 year
This bulb is around 3 years old and I was disappointed with how long it lasted. It still works but the base of the tube blacked within a few months and the light output was affected, so I stopped using it. It was originally quick to come on but now flickers on immediately and the light output is now poor.
Osram Dulux Electronic 23W
This is a big beast of a bulb. It is noticeably bigger and heavier than all the other bulbs and by far the brightest of the bunch. I think it's about 3-4 years old now and still comes on near-instantly with a fraction of a second delay. Full light output is immediate and it's a fair bit brighter than a 60W pearl bulb and an identical colour. I don't have a 100W bulb to compare it to unfortunately.
Osram Dulux EL 20W 12 year
This bulb was free from somewhere about 2 years ago, claiming to equal a 100W bulb and I was disappointed with it, so don't use it. There's about a 0.25 second delay and the light output is less than a 60W pearl but about the same colour. It's a lot lighter than the 23W Osram and I suspect it's a cheaper model.
Philips Genie 11W 10 year
Another freebie, this is my favourite bulb with the best light output in my opinion. Around 2 years old. It's instant-on with good output and brightens up a bit after 15 seconds. The light output is then the same as a 60W bulb and the same colour. When it was new it was full output immediately and I was very impressed with this bulb.
3. The new ones
Philips Genie 11W 10 year
I bought these yesterday to replace the old Ikea bulbs and they were 29p each or 3 for 30p in Sainsburys. That's pretty cheap and I was immediately suspicious. They look almost identical to the the older Philips Genie I own, but the info on the side of the bulbs is not as clear or printed straight, plus the bulb is lighter in weight. They are instant-on and full output immediately, but I think the light is not quite as bright as the older Genie. It's warmer in colour so this could be what makes it appear dimmer. Both models claim 600 lumens.
The difference between the two Genie bulbs is the model number. The new one has model K0948 on the side of the bulb and order code 224077xx on the top of the box, while the older one has order code: 224169xx on the box but nothing on the bulb. Just to confuse things, of course.
So my opinion is this: You can't go wrong with the cheapy 11W Philips Genies. The light output is adequate and, most importantly, it's instant. If you want identical light and colour to a 60W pearl then look for the older Philips Genie, which I suspect is a premium model and will cost more than 30p. If you really want a bright 100W equivalent then think about a 25W bulb, but make sure it's a good quality one or you'll be disappointed and be aware that they are quite big compared to a pearl bulb.
Approximate running costs are as follows, on for approximately 3 hours a day:
100W = £12.50/yr
60W = £7.50/yr
20W = £2.50/yr
11W = £1.40/yr
So even with light use you can spend quite a lot on replacement bulbs and recoup the cost quite quickly.
Edit 01/10/10: and now the best news. We had a company science presentation at work, where departments present what science they are working on to increase awareness in the company and we're working on a British Standard for light output on these types of bulbs and the upcoming LED technology. The aim is to standardise the colour spectrum and light output and make sure bulbs are sold on their light output rather than their energy consumption. It can only be a good thing!
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