Paying our monthly electricity bill is always a concern. That is why we look for ways on how to reduce or maintain a low consumption if possible. There are ways on how we can cut expenses to our power bills and save a few bucks. The way to start is by comparing energy providers and their prices since they offer different plans that suit your homes needs. Some use solar panels on their rooftops; others make a wise pick on the different appliances. Another way is the use of low-intensity incandescent bulbs or also called zero watt bulbs.
What is a Zero-Watt Bulb?
Is it possible to have a zero consumption reading even if lights in your home are turned on 24 hours? Is it possible with a zero watt bulb? No, it’s not!
People assume that they hardly consume power with zero-watt bulbs and hence don’t mind keeping them on 24*7. But a Zero-Watts Bulb is a type of bulb with low light output and not zero output as what its name says. It is often used as a night lamp and other applications requiring low-intensity lights. Its consumption output is between 10-15 watts depending on the bulb.
The low intensity-bulbs are usually seen around the religious part of a house, around the photo frames or paintings, in the front yard or the garden as night lamps. Some astrologers even believe that using a green light night bulb will help children will do well in their studies.
Why the name ‘Zero Watt Bulbs’?
In the old days, these bulbs consume approximately 10-15 watts of power. However, when all the appliances were switched off at night, and the low-intensity bulbs were left switched on, the energy consumption was too small to be measured by the older electromagnetic meters. Due to this not-so sophisticated electromagnetic meter’s inability in the earlier days, there was an inaccuracy in the measurement of power consumption, and it just read ‘zero power’ instead. This misconception led to the unchecked usage of these bulbs.
The new advanced digital energy meters are far more sensitive than once used in the past and can record power consumption in a watt’s fractions.
If you still want to use a zero watt bulb, you can use a led lamp of around 1W. They will save 9-14W power and so quickly recover their cost and also last longer.
Zero Watt Bulbs as Night lamps
When you have kids who are afraid of sleeping at night when it’s totally dark, little lights are your friends that will help them fall asleep. For small children afraid of darkness, a red night light should be used as it has the least effect on melatonin production as compared to blue or white night lamps.
Light at night is an essential element to proper sleep. Light is a direct stimulant that increases brain activation and alertness and impedes the ability to fall asleep and reduces sleep quality. Evening light suppresses the pineal hormone melatonin, the biochemical signal of darkness. Ordinary room light (100 lux or less) can induce these effects.
The melatonin hormone is secreted and produced only at night. It is essential to the regulation of reproduction, body weight, and energy balance. It is necessary to synchronize sleep and circadian rhythms, and also help suppress the growth of cancerous tumors. Exposure to even dim lights affects the production of melatonin.
Save money: Consider your light bulbs
You can save $274 yearly if you turn off the lights you are not using, says Bluejay. By turning off a single 100-watt light bulb from continually running, you can save $131 per year. And by replacing ten 60-watt light bulbs with compact fluorescents to save $123 per year (upfront cost estimate: $32).
Alternatives for Zero Watt Bulbs
These days you can opt to LED alternatives if you are still interested in going for zero watt bulbs. They only consume less at 1 watt of power compared to 15 watts from the “Zero Watt” bulbs. The cost ranges from Rs 75 to Rs 150 per piece, depending on the type. Saving 14 watts can help recover the cost quickly. LED as long-lasting will keep it going for years, and your savings can be accumulated bigger. Some LEDs have an auto-sensing feature that automatically switches off the bulb when there is enough light in the room and switches on when it is dark.