The goal: Saving energy and costs
The days of the incandescent lamp are numbered. The reason: the lamp we all know as the "light bulb" consumes too much energy. Only five percent of the electricity it consumes is converted to light; 95 percent is given off unused as heat. This is why the incandescent lamp was to be removed from the EU market by 2012. Only stocks may still be sold. The incandescent lamp will be replaced by efficient light sources. The lamp industry offers a variety of alternative lamps to replace the incandescent lamp in a straight swap.
When the changeover is complete, private households in Germany will save electricity costs of 1.1 billion euros a year. That means a total of 7.5 billion less kilowatt hours of electricity consumed and 4.5 million metric tons less climate damaging carbon dioxide (CO2) produced.
Saving per household: more than 1,000 euros
The savings achieved by switching over – in this example to energy saving lamps – are shown by the figures calculated for an average size apartment (see table). The calculation is based on an electricity price of 0.21 euro/kWh. A lamp life of 8,000 operating hours is assumed; that is 3 hours a day for 7.3 years. The total cost saved over the full life of the lamps is 1162.56 euro, which works out at 159.25 euros a year.
Room | Number of | Incandescent | Energy-saving | Saving |
Kitchen | 2x | 75 W | 15 W | 201.60 Euro |
Bathroom | 1x | 75 W | 15 W | 100.80 Euro |
Hall | 2x | 60 W | 11 W | 164.64 Euro |
Living room | 3x | 60 W | 11 W | 246.96 Euro |
Children's room | 2x | 75 W | 15 W | 201.60 Euro |
Bedroom | 3x | 60 W | 11 W | 246.96 Euro |
Total |
|
|
| 1162.56 Euro |
