subject: Choosing garden light bulbs is easy with new labels [print this page] Choosing garden light bulbs is easy with new labels
It's easier than ever to choose the right light bulbs for your garden. New labeling requirements laid out by the FTC require light bulb manufacturers to display key facts about each light bulb. This makes it simple for consumers to compare light bulbs on the spot. In the past it was on the consumer to do research and compare light bulb facts at home or work, but now the work is already done and printed right on the package.
The new labels display information pertinent to theenergy efficiency, life, and light output of the light bulbs within. Rather than having to compare light bulbs by their wattage, which is not uniform between different light bulb technologies, consumers can now directly compare brightness. Brightness is the first figure displayed on the new label, expressed in lumens. While light bulb packaging previously displayed this information, it is now in an obvious place and titled as "Brightness" so there is no mystery to the consumer.
After "Brightness" comes the life of the bulb, displayed as "Estimated Yearly Energy Cost". This number is computed using a fairly conservative usage of 3 hours per day, at a cost of $0.11 per kWh. It's easy to find your real yearly energy cost by substituting the estimate numbers with your own usage numbers and energy cost. This is very useful information for the consumer that previously did not appear on any light bulb packaging.
Next the estimated life of the bulb is displayed in years. The "Life" of the bulb uses a similar estimated daily usage of 3 hours per day, so you can once again easily estimate the lifetime of your light bulbs by changing the 3 hours per day to your usage. After "Life" you will see "Light Appearance" and "Energy Used". Light Appearance refers to the color temperature of the light that the light bulb produces. The FTC has included a horizontal bar which reflects how "warm" or "cool" the light is. Energy Used is simply the wattage of the light bulb.
With these new labels consumers have the information at hand to make informed decisions about their light bulb purchases. It will be especially useful to those purchasing light bulbs for gardens.
