No heavy light bulbs

This really happened. I entered a hardware store and asked the old timer if he had any light bulbs. “Well,” he said, “we have no heavy ones.”

I was halfway to the LIGHTING isle before I smiled. “No heavy ones, indeed,” I mused, as I scanned the racks of light bulbs, incandescent, fluorescent and, what we increasingly see now in stores, LEDs.

I recently heard that President Trump is rolling back federal regulations that promote LEDs. That was the same night that Elizabeth Warren, at a CNN forum on the environment, kicked back a question about whether the government should be telling us what kind of light bulbs we must use. “Give me a break,” she said.

LEDs use one fifth of the electricity as incandescent bulbs, and last up to 10 times longer. They’re better, safer and last longer than fluorescent bulbs.

If you haven’t taken advantage of MassSave’s home energy audit, and the free LEDs they leave behind, do it. It will save you money and the time and effort of replacing short-life bulbs.

Federal regulations scheduled to take effect in January would also encourage the sale of efficient tube or candle-shaped bulbs. This can result in huge savings for businesses and public buildings. Churches, for example.

Several years ago, the First Congregational Church in Stoneham partnered with MassSave to replace every light in their church and school with LEDs. This meant getting rid of the incandescent and fluorescent bulbs and tubes in classrooms, kitchen, chapel, offices and meeting rooms. From recessed lights in the sanctuary ceiling to the bare bulb in the janitor’s closet, the historic church is now totally lit by LEDs.

The results are significant. Purpose School classrooms are no longer plagued by flickering florescent tubes. Meeting rooms and hallways are well lit. And the sexton, who used to carry around his stepladder each week to replace burnt out bulbs, now has time for a cup of coffee.

It was a huge project. The church paid 25 percent of the costs, but has since been repaid for its investment by lower electricity bills.

In another major efficiency project, the church installed 109 solar panels on its roof. The savings from the panels, which the church leases, plus its savings in energy usage from switching to LED lighting, mean the church now generates more electricity that it needs, and can “sell” some to another organization in town.

I recently stopped at Rounds Hardware and talked to Mike about light bulbs. He showed me a soft-light 9-watt bulb that emits the same light as a 60-watt incandescent one. You can also get LEDs to match your 100-and-higher watt bulbs, as well as LED candle and tube lights. A GE display showed the different kinds of light, depending on use and the mood you want: warm, cool, and very bright. I didn't find any that made people look orange.

Using LEDs will save you money, time and effort. Also, very important, it will help you reduce your carbon footprint as we all face the consequences of a warming climate. That’s a step we should take.

LED light bulbs? They’re not heavy. They’re the future.

© Ben Jacques