20-Year Light Bulb Now on Sale

Energy-saver hits stores for Earth Day
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Apr 23, 2012 4:23 AM CDT
Updated Apr 29, 2012 12:59 PM CDT
20-Year Light Bulb Goes on Sale
LED bulbs like this prize-winner from Philips face competition from cheaper compact fluorescent lights.   (AP Photo/Philips)

An energy-saving light bulb capable of staying in service until 2032 hit the market yesterday to coincide with Earth Day. The LED light bulb—which won a $10 million US government eco-bulb prize—originally had a hefty $60 price tag but manufacturer Philips has arranged discounts and rebates to bring the price down to $25 in some areas, reports the BBC.

"Consumers are no longer looking at a product that will last just six months to a year, they are looking at a product that is much more efficient and will be with them for decades," a Philips exec says. Even at $25, the bulb may be a tough sell to strapped consumers, but its maker says it will save consumers $165 in energy costs over its lifetime—and if it replaced every 60-watt incandescent bulb in the US, the country would save $3.9 billion in electricity in just one year. (More Earth Day stories.)

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