The sporting world and flashlight users have discovered the world of lighting using light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Compared to the old world of C and AA battery life with traditional bulbs this has been a fantastic advance. The LEDs provide superior light and the batteries last much longer. They are about eighty percent more efficient that incandescents and they contain no mercury. Compared to CFLs they are the superior choice.
However, don’t hold off on changing from incandescents to CFLs with the thinking that LEDs will soon be available. The fact is, it will be five to ten years before prices come down to mass market levels and technical kinks for home lighting are worked out. The only issues with CFLs at this time are mercury and disposal, both issues that are easily worked out with a little governmental leadership. Coal powered plants are a hugh contributor of mercury to the environment and much of this power goes to feed incandescents. That is, incandescents are not mercury neutral.
What sold me on CFLs was the display in Home Hardware that had a power use meter between an incandescent and a CFL bulb of the same brightness. A switch could be use to go from one to the other while the meter registered electricity use. The difference in watts used was significant. Every store should have one of those meters on display. Seeing is believing.
