On Wed, 16 Sep 2009 12:32:47 +0100, Jerry wrote:

"Steve Thackery" wrote in message
...
snip
:
: Standby electricity turns into heat, which is valuable except
during the
: summer months. That is a subtlety many greenies don't
understand.

Indeed, and that is also one of the defences for TF light bulbs,
OK they are not the most effective electric fires but the heat
produced is NOT wasted for probably nine twelfths of the year (in
other words it is only wasted during the dusk to dawn hours
between the end of may and the end of September, assuming that
the weather is indeed warm to hot), all the rest of the time they
contribute to background heat. So with TF bulbs contributing to
the heating of the home during most of the year and the whole of
life costs of CFL bulbs the greenies are not being all that that
clever.

The problem with the heat from TF bulbs is that it's mostly at ceiling
height, since that's where most bulbs hang from. What people need
is heat at body (whether seated or standing) height, to keep them warm.
If your room has the means to circulate the hot air away from the
ceilinigs you'll improve the overall efficiency of the heaters -
whatever form they take, otherwise you just end up with warm
plasterboard, and maybe the room above - if you're not in a bungalow
of on the top floor.


The calculations might well be different for the more southerly
countries or countries that traditionally have warmer summers
than is the average in the UK, just goes to show that, regardless
of any other issues with the EU, a "one size fits all" approach
to legislation doesn't actually work.

What are the latest recycling costs for the *safe* disposal of
CFL light bulbs compared to the Vacuum TF bulb?...