Replacing bulbs, renovating or building?

Get up to speed on energy efficient lighting issues and enjoy the benefits. Here, we put your mind at ease about various myths, outline bulb equivalents in terms of wattage, provide helpful information about safety and guide you to other energy efficiency websites.

Myths about energy efficient lighting

Today's fluorescent bulb technology is far advanced from that you may have trialed 10 or even 5 years ago. So much so that past concerns surrounding performance, aesthetics, price and safety are no longer a reality…. Put my mind at ease

Light bulb safety

Light bulbs of any type are largely harmless but there are some safety points worth knowing… Tell me more about lighting safety

Links to energy efficiency websites

The Electricity Commission, Consumer NZ, The New Zealand Green Building Council, Energywise and Powerswitch all have informative websites worth checking out…. More

Lighting glossary

Lighting can get quite technical. If you've never heard of a Kelvin, luminance or specular surface, try looking in here first... Take me to the Glossary

Comparing the brightness of bulbs

Despite what some people may think, a 40W incandescent does not produce the same amount of light as a 40W new generation halogen or 40W CFL. You might like to check our easy reference chart before you buy any new bulbs… Show me the chart

Consumer Test Results

Energy saving light bulbs save you money and save the country’s resources. But which ones to buy? Consumer NZ tested nineteen different models to find out. View the results...