h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

'Twas rather obvious, and rather surprising it hadn't been made before

Or maybe I've just seen Tal around enough to know when he's joking...

Nah, I don't get that there was the big gap in the post between the initial statement and the punch line being the the key.

It was said low energy blubs can't be dimmed, yes they can, and even in B&Q.

But then again I quite like the effect of dimming regular low-energy blubs.

Update for 2009.

There is a poster in my supermarket advising me that real light bulbs are discontinued from 1 Sep 2009. The shelves are already bare of the 100w versions of real light bulbs. And anything less than 100w real light doesn't count as a light bulb in my opinion.

Still no sign of any low energy light bulbs higher than 20w = 100w "equivalent" i.e. nowhere near the light of 100w real bulbs. I really don't understand this bit. Surely 30W = 150W equivalent would still be a power saving and may actually be 100w equivalent. Why the obsession with stopping people being able to see?

My broken low energy bulbs are still in the cardboard box.

Perhaps non supermarket type places will have non energy saving bulbs still?
Unless the Energy police will be carrying out regular raids.....I see illicit deals in dark alleys supplying high energy illegal bulbs to unhappy people looking for a bit of brightness in their lives!

I'm quite happy with my low energy bulbs, which I get from a well known furniture company of Swedish origin... They even have bins where you can return blown low energy bulbs for safe recycling.

Except for the fact that they take a few minutes to warm up and give off full light, they have a nice colour to the light and are not much dimmer than ordinary bulbs.

Goof Thinking about the other places selling them. I bet they will have them on the market, I will look there next time I go.

I think how well the lights light up a room also depends on your housing. If your house was built before electricity in homes was invented it needs more light wattage. I think mine does anyway.

I suppose the ultimate plan is to get rid of all the old houses so that all houses can see with low energy light bulbs.

Good Thinking I meant.

that's what I read!

"I suppose the ultimate plan is to get rid of all the old houses so that all houses can see with low energy light bulbs. "

In the UK, the law now states that when a house is rewired, at least 40% of the new light fittings (ceiling lights, not wall lights / desk lamps / other lamps) must be low energy. That doesn't mean the current bayonet/screw light fittings with a low energy bulb fitted. It means a new style of light fitting that will only take a bulb designated as 'low energy'. That includes halogen and fluorescent. When our house was rewired, the electrician made most of the lights low energy. Of 14 lights, only 2 take 'standard' bulbs. We also use low energy bulbs in things like bedside lights, reading lights and desk lights. They're plenty bright enough for us. In fact, sometimes they're too bright! The lowest wattage readily available in the local shops is 9W (40W equivalent). If I go online I can find bulbs down to 15W equivalent, but I don't want to have to do a bulk order just for a few bulbs for reading/desk lamps.

>>If your house was built before electricity in homes was invented it needs more light wattage.<<

What exactly do you mean? That it needs brighter lights? That would be ridiculous, since oil/gas lamps weren't as bright...

I suspect what he means, if talking about timbered houses, is the light gets 'trapped' in gaps between the large timbers as opposed to modern houses with smooth internal walls where it can bounce arround and reflect, infact giving the appearance of more lights than are actually there. It could be than older timbered houses are painted/coated with a more matt surface indoors than modern houses which would reflect more light.
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On an aside, apparantly matt paint hides defects in walls than more glossy/semi-matt paints.
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...a decorating tip brought to you by 'Strangely and Strangely Decorators', no job too big or small. Cleanliness asured.

The higher ceilings mean that the light wears itself out before it gets to where I need it to be. Or something. I am not sure of the science. I just know I can't see with a 100w equivalent bulb although I can with a 100w old style bulb.

In the oil and gas and candles days people just accepted dimness as normal. I am not sure why ceilings were higher then, perhaps there was a good reason I don't know.

If it is going to mean getting the house rewired, I will just do without seeing and wait for the day light.

The house is matt painted though and on the hides defects in old walls basis so perhaps I could try re painting before re wiring.

It all seems a bit drastic for the sake of a light bulb but thats life for you these days isn't it?

It's a plot by Specsavers I tell ya!

"light wears itself out before it gets to where I need it to be"
Can this be quote of the day please?

Yes, the high celings seem to be a Vicorian thing, I believe some lower the ceilings to lower heating costs these days. Hopefully if someone lowers the ceilng in a Victorian house with original features they would protect them for future! it would be a good time to add sound/heat insulation as would have a large gap between old ceiling and lowered new ceiling.
I had thought about lowering ceilings in high ceiling rooms in past, sadly I can't do it here ith sound insulation as ceiling is already really low. It came to mind that copies of Victorian ceiling mouldings, 'light 'roses, etc could be added to the lowered new ceiling to retain some of the lovely Victorian character.
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I think those who protect original Victorian features could be encouraged to do so the way of protecting a valuable selling point for future!!

Surely you have it all wrong. Before electricity houses had larger windows to let in more daylight. Surely the high ceilings were to allow more light to fill the room. You might have to ask the resident architecht though, this is just my laymans

mini

Very true, mini