More complaints about energy-saving bulbs
BURNT HILLS, NEW YORK - Some U.S. energy experts say the push to lower the price of compact fluorescent light bulbs has led manufacturers to use cheap components.
"Somebody decides to save a little money somewhere and suddenly we have hundreds of thousands of (bulb) failures," said Victor Roberts, an independent expert in Burnt Hills, N.Y., who conducts failure analysis testing on light bulbs.
Compact fluorescent bulbs comprise 11 percent of the market for bulbs in the United States, but consumers increasingly complain the bulbs burn out early, The New York Times reported.
"In the pursuit of the holy grail, we stepped on the consumer," said Michael Siminovitch, an energy expert at the University of California, Davis.
Overall, the energy-saving bulbs are of good quality, but it's difficult to keep tight quality control on a cheap, mass-marketed item, many of which come from China, said Alan Feit, vice president of Feit Electric.
"While manufacturers try to inspect all incoming materials, one little mistake may cause a performance problem," Feit said.
Related News
Britain Prepares for High Winter Heating and Electricity Costs
LONDON - The government organization that controls the cost of energy in Great Britain recently increased what is known as a price cap. The price cap is the highest amount that gas suppliers can charge for a unit of energy.
The new, higher cost has people concerned that they may not be able to pay for their gas and electricity this winter. Some might pay as much as $4,188 for energy next year. Earlier this year, the price cap was at $2,320.
Why such a change?
Oil and gas prices around the world have been increasing since 2021 as economies started up again…
