Frequently Asked Questions
- Do CFL's contain mercury?
- What sort of bulb should I buy?
- How does the brightness of a low energy bulb compare with an incandescent bulb?
- What forms of payment do you accept?
- Is online payment secure?
- How long does delivery take?
- How are you able to offer such low prices?
- The bulb that I ordered does not fit, what can I do?
- Do they flicker when you turn them on?
- Do they take time to "warm up"?
- Returns policy for faulty lights
If your question is not answered in this section please e-mail your questions to info@efficientlight.co.uk or call 0800 043 8893
Q: Do CFLs contain mercury? And isn't that bad for the environment?
A: Energy saving bulbs contain only tiny traces of mercury - imagine a pellet smaller than the tip of a biro. What's more, in the long term, CFL technology will actually help less mercury to pollute the air. This is because burning fossil fuels like coal is the biggest source of mercury in the air. And as energy saving bulbs use 80% less electricity than a traditional bulb, they mean far less mercury overall.
Remember to always recycle your used bulbs, for example at your local authority's recycling centre.
Q: What sort of bulb should I buy?
A: Ensure you know the type of light fitting you require, for example bayonet or screw cap, we stock a range of different fittings including the small bayonet and screw caps. Secondly consider the use of your particular light and size the bulb apropriately. Small bedside lights will require less power (Watts) than a bulb to light an entire room.
A: Ensure you know the type of light fitting you require, for example bayonet or screw cap, we stock a range of different fittings including the small bayonet and screw caps. Secondly consider the use of your particular light and size the bulb apropriately. Small bedside lights will require less power (Watts) than a bulb to light an entire room.
Q: How does the brightness of a low energy bulb compare with an incandescent bulb?
A: The brightness of lightbulbs is measured in Lumens which is a measure of a light's luminous power. The graph below compares the luminous power of low energy bulbs, the light green bars, with incandescent bulbs, in dark green.
A: The brightness of lightbulbs is measured in Lumens which is a measure of a light's luminous power. The graph below compares the luminous power of low energy bulbs, the light green bars, with incandescent bulbs, in dark green.
Q: What forms of payment do you accept?
A: We accept all the major credit and debit cards including Visa, Mastercard, Switch, Solo and Meastro. Unfortunately we do not accept Visa Electron. We can also accept payment via paypal or cheque, but goods will not be sent until funds have cleared. Please contact us to pay by cheque/paypal.
A: We accept all the major credit and debit cards including Visa, Mastercard, Switch, Solo and Meastro. Unfortunately we do not accept Visa Electron. We can also accept payment via paypal or cheque, but goods will not be sent until funds have cleared. Please contact us to pay by cheque/paypal.
Q: Is online payment secure?
A: Please see the SECURITY page for details of our security policy
Q: How long does delivery take?
A: Have look on the Delivery page for all things relating to delivery
A: Have look on the Delivery page for all things relating to delivery
Q: How are you able to offer such low prices?
A: The price of CFL light bulbs has been steadily decreasing over the last 10 years. The current competition between China and some of the large manufacturers such as Osram and Phillips are forcing prices down without a loss of quality.
A: The price of CFL light bulbs has been steadily decreasing over the last 10 years. The current competition between China and some of the large manufacturers such as Osram and Phillips are forcing prices down without a loss of quality.
Q: The bulb that I ordered does not fit, what can I do?
A: It's your choice, you can either try to find another use for the bulb or return it to us and exhange it for a different model.
Q: Do they flicker when you turn them on?
A: No - there is no 'flicker' associated with our range of bulbs and have received no complaints of this nature.
Q: Do they take time to "warm up"?
A: There are approximately 300 different bulbs on offer from Efficient Light, the start up time is different for each model. The reflector and spiral bulbs have instant light and require no 'start up' time at all. The other bulbs available are still significantly better than most bulbs on the market in terms of a very short start up time. Again remember that the quality of bulbs has improved vastly over the last couple of years. As a very simple guide the most compact fittings such as small spotlights often start up slower than their larger alternatives.
Q: Returns policy for faulty lights?
A: Mistakes happen, as does damage in transit etc etc We are happy to replace damaged bulbs for you should they not arrive with you in good working order. Similarly should you find that your 8000 hour bulb has not lasted 6 months of use we will replace it free of charge.
LED FAQ's
Q: What is an LED?
A: A light-emitting diode (LED) is a semiconductor device that emits narrow-spectrum light when electrically charged. An LED is a small bulb previously used in millions of physics experiments at school to demonstrate electrical current, use of switches etc. LED's are being improved all the time to progress from experimental devices into the future of lighting technology.
Q: Are LEDs bright enough?
A: LEDs are improving by the week and are probably a lot brighter than you might imagine. You do get what you pay for with LED technology, at the cheapest LED lighting is only really useful for soft mood lighting. If you would like to use LED bulbs to replace halogen for example they will cost £10-£25 each and be up to 30W equivalent, use 3-5W of power and last many years.