Hi guys,
I'm sure I know the answer is "they're no 100% efficient", but just
wanted to check whether I have got some really wrong readings...or
whether I'm missing some vital text on the packet which says these
bulbs don't consume what they imply they consume...

NOw I may have been given a trojan horse of a bulb of course, but
npower sent me a load of energy efficient light bulbs a while back
(Philips branded).....I then received a free energy consumption
monitor more recently...so I decided to do the @nul thing and test
every individual appliance, bulb, cat and dog in the house as well as
'combinations' thereof to try to avoid the monitor giving crap
readings where the consumption was below a level it could read...or
where the increment was too small for it to notice.

Anyways...I came around to the 3 energy efficient bulbs from npower
that I'd put in a 3 way spot light in the kitchen. Turn the lights on
and the monitor shows 90W...I was somewhat surprised given I'd put in
an 11W + 11W + 8W bulb which according to the bumf would actually give
me about 60W + 35W + 35W = 130W equivalent in light..which as we all
know isn't quite true but either way...lumens aside...if the box says
11WATT IN (little green arrow saying "Energy" pointing INTO the
bulb...and big 60 WATT inside the bulb and the words "Light") surely
it's saying this is only supposed to consume 11 watts regardless of
what output it claims..so should be a total consumption of 31W..not 3
times that.
Similarly, I turn on 2 more 11W spots, and a further 2 x 12W softone
spots..so expecting a total consumption of the original 31 + 22 + 24 =
77W...the monitor reads 230W !

I know the energy consumption monitor thing 'could' be a bit rubbish
but it does appear to be linear based on all the other things I've
tested...so inclined to believe it's giving a fairly reasonable
estimate...but maybe a numberof you will fall of your chairs laughing
at me ;-) I know they're only supposed to be an indicator as opposed
to a measuring device...but I'm sure it can't be 'that' far out....

Have npower just sent me a load of innefficient bulbs hoping I'd leave
them on 3-5 times longer ? ;-)

Ant.