At present my local Tesco is selling CFL lamps in various wattages, including the quite bright 23W model, for 10 pence each. Although I already have more than enough light bulbs, I can't resist buying a few each time I visit, because "they might come in useful".
The packaging claims a predicted lifetime of 8 years in service. Anyone know what the shelf life of cheap CFLs is? Do they suffer from leaky capacitors? Tin whiskers?
only component likely to deteriorate in storage afaik is the electrolytic. I'd expect a couple of decades shelf life easily, and have used lytics stored for far longer.
NT
Not just me who can't resist buying loads of them then!!
This batch has much thinner tubes, I have noticed, and seem very good.
Last time, the self checkout thing called over an operator when I had just scanned in about 20 for some reason - got a funny look from him!!!
I take it Tesco, or nPower get carbon credits everytime they sell one, wich outweighs the loss they are making on them?
Toby...
Yes. They count towards the power supplier's carbin reduction. Like so much of this, a complete scam.
Don't do it...... Get a life!
Assume they will improve as technology improves.
Consider the storage space being used - consider the risk of loss if they get crushed....
Is it worth it.
(Now screwdrivers from the local Poundshop......There's a better idea - one in every room.
I found a similar offer in a tesco down in cornwall a couple of years ago, and took the opportunity of replacing all the bulbs in a holiday cottage for next to nothing and thereby saving a lot of scrabbling for pound coins for a very greedy meter. They were not 'cheap' CFLs but good makes that were on promotion so that the superstore could feel a bit greener. They were rationed to 4 per customer but I did keep passing that way...
SJohn :
How long before they all congregate in the kitchen?
We're all buying them - the cost is included in our gas/electricity bills. You are simply bothering to go and collect yours.
I couldn't store them because of all the incandescents I have squirrelled away :-)
Not worth the plastic chalk they are made of.
Dave
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