There's been a lot of change in a short period of time when it comes to light bulbs. You may have made the switch to CFLs to cut your energy bills and been disappointed that the bulbs didn't last as long as advertised or that they cast an unflattering light. (Even I'll admit to the eco-sin of putting an incandescent bulb back into my favorite reading lamp because I couldn't stand the fluorescent glow.)

But LEDs have been on the market for a few years now, and prices for them have come way down (about $10-$20 a bulb). The good news is that even though they're still more expensive than CFLs, they really do last much longer (50,000 hours versus 8,000 hours for a CFL versus 1,200 hours for an incandescent) and use significantly less energy (about half the yearly energy cost of CFLs and 1/10 the cost of incandescents). 

So how do you shop for the best bulb for your space? Right now there are several brands — Cree, Sylvania, GE, Lighting Science (sold by Home Depot as their in-house EcoSmart brand) and Philips. Even though they all use the same light rating systems (see more on that below), they do vary on practical application, according to tests. So first-off, make sure the store where you buy your bulbs has a solid return policy, so

Electrical Supplies is located in the Cradley Heath area of Birmingham. There are at least 18 other listings in the B64 postcode area.

Electricians in Birmingham B64

Number of Employees: 20

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• Residential
• Rewiring
• Roof Repairs
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• Wiring