Ecobulb | Lessening climate change through economical energy savings!

Energy Mad in conjunction with local Energy Trusts, Lines Companies and Power Companies are heavily subsidising the Ecobulb® promotions to bring you Ecobulbs® at below cost price.

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Q. What is an Ecobulb®?

An Ecobulb® is an energy saving bulb that uses 80% less electricity than an ordinary bulb for the same light output.

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Q. What are the benefits of replacing ordinary bulbs with Ecobulbs®?

There are several benefits:

Each ordinary bulb replaced with an Ecobulb® will save approximately $130 in power over the life of the Ecobulb®
Replacing five ordinary bulbs with Ecobulbs® will therefore save approximately $650 on your power bill
Ecobulbs® last 10 times longer than ordinary bulbs, so you do not have to change them very often
The power savings from Ecobulbs® reduces the risk of power cuts in winter
Every Ecobulb® installed prevents 9 ordinary bulbs going into landfills

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Q. How can I safely dispose of Ecobulbs®?

Disposing of Energy Saving Bulbs at the End of their life:

Energy saving bulbs need special disposal, do not dispose with household rubbish.
Dispose at your local refuse station; ask staff if they have recycling facilities as most materials can be recycled.

Disposing of Energy Saving Bulbs if the glass breaks:

The primary hazard associated with broken Ecobulbs® is broken glass, so be sure to wear gloves when collecting fragments.
Broken bulbs fragments should be swept into a bag (NOT VACUUMED) and again taken to your local refuse station for recycling

See our Technical/Safety page for more information or read the following document from the Ministry for the Environment:

Ministry for the Environment - Safe Disposal of CFLs (PDF) (Click here to see more information)

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Q. Where can I purchase Ecobulbs® from?

Major Woolworths supermarkets.

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Q. How are the power savings of energy saving bulbs calculated?

An average Australia family uses 1,100 kWh of electricity per household on lighting each year. This costs them approximately $200 on their power bill. If they replace their 5 highest-use incandescent bulbs (in locations such as the lounge, kitchen, hallway, bedroom, outside light...) with Ecobulbs®, they can save up to $100 per year.

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Q. Why is it so important that every household in Australia replaces the five most used ordinary bulbs with Ecobulbs®?

If every Australian household replaced their five most used ordinary bulbs with Ecobulbs®, the peak power savings would be equivalent to building a very large new hydro power station. This would also prevent 66 million ordinary bulbs being thrown into landfills.

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Q. What size ordinary bulbs can a 20 or 15 Watt Ecobulb® be used to replace?

A 20 Watt Ecobulb® can be used to replace 100 Watt and R80 Watt ordinary bulb as it provides the same light output, while only using 20 Watts of electricity. A 20 Watt Ecobulb® can also be used to replace a 150 Watt ordinary bulbs. A 15 Watt Ecobulb® can be used to replace a 75 Watt and 60 Watt ordinary bulb.

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Q. Can an Ecobulb® be used in downlights or enclosed fixtures?

The 15 Watt or 20 Watt Ecobulb® can be used in downlights replacing 75 Watt or 100 Watt R80 (spot lights). The light output will be less using the Ecobulb® since there is no reflective mirror, but more than adequate and the compact spiral shape doesn't protrude. The Ecobulb® gives off less heat so can be used in enclosed fittings and is less of a fire danger Some fittings may require the 20W Ecobulbs® to be screwed in very tightly, if they still do not work please use a 15W.

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Q. What about using energy saving bulbs outside?

Most energy saving bulbs can be used in outside locations, but the enclosure must keep it dry and protect it from the elements. The Ecobulb® uses the latest amalgam technology and will maintain light levels even at low temperatures.

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Q. Is there a variety of wattages for Ecobulbs®?

The Ecobulb® is available in a 15 or 20 Watt size. The 15 watt is suitable for replacing a 60 or 75 watt ordinary bulb and the 20 watt is suitable for replacing a 100 Watt or R80 ordinary bulb.

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Q. How long do Ecobulbs® take to reach full brightness?

An Ecobulb® takes approximately one minute to reach full brightness. This is considerably faster than most other Energy Saving bulbs available in Australia.

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Q. Why do other 20 Watt energy saving bulbs appear less bright than an ordinary 100 Watt light bulb?

Most 20 Watt energy saving bulbs have a light output of less than 1200 lumens, while the light output of a 100Watt ordinary bulb is 1360 lumens. Also the conventional 3U shape spreads the light horizontally rather than downwards. Both these reasons cause the other 20 Watt energy saving bulbs to appear less bright than an ordinary 100 Watt light bulb. In contrast the 20 Watt Ecobulb® appears to be as bright as a 100 Watt ordinary bulb. This is because the Ecobulb® has a light output of 1330 lumens and the spiral shape is designed to spread the light downwards similar to an ordinary bulb.

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Q. Does the light emitted decrease over the lifetime of an Ecobulb®?

The light of an Ecobulb® does decrease over its life. However this rate of decrease is less than an ordinary bulb.

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Q. Since Ecobulbs® produce less heat than an ordinary bulb won't my electric heater be used more and I won t save electricity?

20 Watt Ecobulb® gives off less heat than a 100 Watt incandescent bulb. However international studies have shown there is no significant increase in electrical heating to compensate for the reduced heat from the energy saving bulbs. Most light bulbs are located at ceiling level so the increased heat of an incandescent bulb is lost directly through the ceiling and does not heat the room.

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Q. What if my Ecobulb® fails? Is there a warranty?

Each Ecobulb® carries a 2 year warranty. Return to the supermarket where it was purchased, for a replacement or refund.

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Q. Can Ecobulbs® be used with ordinary dimmers?

It is suggested that Ecobulbs® (and other energy-saving lightbulbs) are not used in dimmers. Even if the dimmer feature is not used, it will still shorten the expected life of the Ecobulb®.

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Q. Do Ecobulbs® emit less light in cold conditions?

Ecobulb® uses the latest amalgam technology which maintains its luminous flux (light output) even at low temperatures.

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Q. Do Ecobulbs® flicker and/or buzz?

Ecobulbs® do not flicker or buzz and has passed all the required Aus/NZ standards tests. Most modern energy saving bulbs don't flicker or buzz (although some cheaper or very old ones do).

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Q. Most energy saving bulbs are bigger than ordinary bulbs. Is the Ecobulb® bigger than ordinary bulbs?

The Ecobulb® is a similar shape to ordinary bulbs, and only about 11mm longer than an ordinary bulb.

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Q. Do Ecobulbs® produce Radio Frequency interference?

No. The Ecobulb® has been tested and passed CISPR 15 and has the C-tick.

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Q. Turning them on causes wear and tear?

Our product has been tested to standards which includes switch testing.

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Q. What is the difference between an energy saving bulb and a compact fluorescent lamp?

A compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) is the technical name for an energy saving bulb.

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Q. Does an energy saving bulb consume more electricity when switched on than when in permanent operation?

The power consumption when turning on an energy saving bulb is not higher than that during permanent operation. A frequent turning on, therefore, has no negative influence on the power consumption.

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Q. Kelvin - What is the difference between 2700K and 5000K?

The K stands for Kelvin. The Kelvin temperature of a bulb refers to the actual colour of the light and is a comparison to natural outdoor light. A 2700K lamp has a warmer tone than a 5000K lamp. An incandescent lamp is 2700K, a warm white fluorescent lamp is 3000K, a cool white fluorescent lamp is 4100K and noon, outdoor sunlight is about 6000K. The 2700K matches the warm soft light colour of candlelight, firelight or an ordinary incandescent bulb. The 5000K lamp produces a much whiter light more closely associated with sun light. The advantage of this 5000K light colour is that it increases contrast. Black becomes blacker, white become whiter. Printed material (black type on white paper) is easier to read under 5000K light. Therefore, this lamp makes an excellent reading light and can help reduce eye fatigue.

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Q. Timers Can I use Energy Saving Bulbs in dusk to dawn & electronic timers?

Photo cells contain a silicon chip that converts radiant energy into electrical current. Most photo-cells today do this in a manner that is incompatible with energy saving bulbs resulting in a shortened lamp life. Timers are devices that allow trickle voltage to cycle through the lamp when it is off. This causes the lamp to try and start itself when there is not the proper supply voltage present. This also shortens the lamp life.

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Q. What are they & how do they work?

Energy saving bulbs are smaller fluorescent lamps that can directly replace standard incandescent bulbs. Their colour and brightness are comparable to incandescent bulbs. Energy saving bulbs consist of two parts - a gas-filled tube and a ballast. The gas in the tube glows with ultraviolet light when electricity from the ballast flows through it. This in turn excites a white phosphor coating on the inside of the tube, which emits visible light throughout the surface of the tube. Incandescent lamps work differently. Most of the electricity they use heats a tungsten filament until it glows white hot. As a result, incandescent lamps generate far more heat than a fluorescent light.

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