Looking for a more energy-efficient light bulb? Make it dimmer.
According to lighting experts, there are several ways to make a light bulb more efficient. More often than not, manufacturers resort to dimming the light bulb itself.
How did it all start? Regulators in California decided to mandate a 5 percent reduction in bulb wattage for incandescent bulbs, in order to help energy efficiency in the state. This happened a few years back, and since new bulbs hit the market ever since, the bulbs save energy by being dimmer. The new bulbs are each 5-watts less than the old, and keep your home a little darker at night.
A more efficient bulb does not have to be a darker one. Experts report that bulbs can be filled with different types of gases and advanced filament designs can also be used. In California, the bulbs seem only to be dimmer. A study by Ecos, a consulting firm and energy-efficiency program developer working for utilities and government agencies shows almost all of the new bulbs in California are on the low end of allowable brightness for each class of light-wattage. Many of the lights are even much dimmer... 10 percent more so than the models they replaced.
Does cutting back on bulb brightness set a bad example? According to this article, some analysts think so. Chris Calwel, a senior research fellow with Ecos, says "In general, efficiency advocates want to see no loss in the service delivered, so even a 5 percent reduction in lumens is unfortunate. It would be nice if a manufacturer would offer an improved incandescent product that legitimately matched the light output of today's incandescents and achieves all of its energy savings from higher efficiency."
For now, not that many people have been rushing out to buy brighter and high-wattaged bulbs since they've hit the market in 2008, according to manufacturers. However, they have in the past. GE has misled consumers in the early 90s, and settled the dispute with the F.T.C. The F.T.C. found that the packaging misled consumers, by not adequately disclosing the bulbs were dimmer than the bulbs they were to replace.
Looking for a more energy-efficient light bulb? Make it dimmer.
According to lighting experts, there are several ways to make a light bulb more efficient. More often than not, manufacturers resort to dimming the light bulb itself.
How did it all start? Regulators in California decided to mandate a 5 percent reduction in bulb wattage for incandescent bulbs, in order to help energy efficiency in the state. This happened a few years back, and since new bulbs hit the market ever since, the bulbs save energy by being dimmer. The new bulbs are each 5-watts less than the old, and keep your home a little darker at night.
A more efficient bulb does not have to be a darker one. Experts report that bulbs can be filled with different types of gases and advanced filament designs can also be used. In California, the bulbs seem only to be dimmer. A study by Ecos, a consulting firm and energy-efficiency program developer working for utilities and government agencies shows almost all of the new bulbs in California are on the low end of allowable brightness for each class of light-wattage. Many of the lights are even much dimmer... 10 percent more so than the models they replaced.
Does cutting back on bulb brightness set a bad example? According to a New York Times article, some analysts think so. Chris Calwel, a senior research fellow with Ecos, says "In general, efficiency advocates want to see no loss in the service delivered, so even a 5 percent reduction in lumens is unfortunate. It would be nice if a manufacturer would offer an improved incandescent product that legitimately matched the light output of today's incandescents and achieves all of its energy savings from higher efficiency."
For now, not that many people have been rushing out to buy brighter and higher-wattaged bulbs since they've hit the market in 2008, according to manufacturers. However, they have in the past. GE has misled consumers in the early 90s, and settled the dispute with the F.T.C. The F.T.C. found that the packaging misled consumers, by not adequately disclosing the bulbs were dimmer than the bulbs they were to replace. Sound familiar?
Looking for a free credit report from monitoring groups like FreeCreditReport.com? Think again.
The site's TV ads feature slackers singing in their shabby apartments or waiting tables in pirate costumes. If only they had used FreeCreditReport.com, they wouldn't be in such a financial mess.
It also has a Web site name that implies the report is free. Contrary to its misleading URL, FreeCreditReport.com charges a credit-monitoring service that costs $14.95 a month, automatically taken from consumers' credit cards.
The Federal Trade Commission isn't amused. The government is now producing its own spoofs on FreeCreditReport.com singing, "Other sites may turn your head; say they're free, don't be misled. Once you’re in their tangled web, they’ll sell you something else instead.” In the parody, the F.T.C. is focusing on the free-credit-report slogan.
Experian, the company that owns FreeCreditReport.com, has already paid $1.25 million to settle charges for misleading consumers who ended up having to pay a monthly subscription fee. Due to the legal issues, it now has a disclosure on its home page saying it's not affiliated with the annual free credit report program. This disclosure is in fine print on the side of the home page, on a subdued background.
FreeCreditReport.com diverts consumers from the government-mandated free credit report site, and are drawing a lot of F.T.C. attention. This expanding niche is near $1 billion in sales for which millions of people have signed up. The consumer pays to see real-time updates about changes in their credit.
But for most consumers, changes in credit can be easily monitored by a quick peek at their credit card statement every few months. Edgar Dworsky, founder of ConsumerWorld.org and a former member of Experian's consumer advisory panel asks, “Does the average person really need to see their credit reports more than once every four months? Do you need to look at it daily?” He responds to his own question, "That's paranoia."
The three major credit bureaus, Experian, Equifax and TransUnion are required to offer reports through the authorized AnnualCreditReport.com but the three groups also make money from their own credit reports.
According to a Yahoo Finance article, Experian is the largest player for credit card monitoring, and their market share is more than twice that of its three main competitors combined. The company invests heavily in marketing and its slacker commercials. In 2008 alone, $54 million was spent, TNS Media reports.
Looking for an alternative? Credit Karma, a site that helps consumers demystify the credit-score game, boasts free credit checks, educational guides and tools.
Looking for a more energy-efficient light bulb? Make it dimmer.
