This Little Light of Mine

A light bulb with a life of 8,000 hours? Yeah, right! Well, actually, such an idea has just entered the marketplace with the launch of GE’s newly remodeled bulbs, the covered Energy Smart Compact Fluorescent Lights.

Over the past few years, those energy-efficient, but twisted and funny-shaped light bulbs known as CFLs had become the norm. But now GE has a covered version very similar to its older model, the T2 CFL. This new model packs the same punch in terms of brightness and energy efficiency as its predecessor, but it’s surrounded by frosty glass in the shape of an incandescent light bulb.

“We’re fulfilling needs we discovered talking with customers: fit and aesthetics,” says Kathy Sterio, general manager of consumer marketing for GE. “Our new covered GE Energy Smart CFL has nearly the same form factor as an incandescent bulb; so it expands the applications where energy-efficient CFLs can be used, such as smaller lamps and fixtures that are too small for GE’s traditional Spiral CFLs.” Plus, “it produces nearly the same amount of light in a warm, soft color like we’re used to with incandescent bulbs, while delivering 75-percent energy cost savings.”

The 15-watt version (equivalent to a regular 60W bulb), the 40W and the 75W are all available in stores now. And in 2010, GE expects to make the 100W equivalent ready for consumers. According to Sterio, the 15W version is estimated to sell for between $5.99 and $7.99.

“I know the CFLs are energy saving and heat reducing,” says Diane Caldwell, of Ludlow, Ky.-based Caldwell Design Concepts. As a designer who uses CFLs often for overhead lighting in residential and hospitality spaces, Caldwell says she’s been waiting for something like a covered bulb to come around since the release of what she calls the uglier model. “I’ll definitely use those personally and for commission purposes.”