Light Bulb Finder Mobile App Helps Frustrated Consumers Transition to Energy-Saving Bulbs

PRINCETON, N.J. - Nov. 14, 2013 - PRLog -- As many consumers grieve the loss of the incandescent bulb, the Light Bulb Finder mobile app is smoothing the transition to energy-efficient lighting alternatives. Traditional 40-watt and 60-watt incandescent light bulbs are being phased out of the market from January 2014 in favor of more efficient technologies that use about 75% less energy.

The latest federal phase-out of inefficient bulbs is significant, as 40 and 60-watt incandescent bulbs account for approximately 80% of the incandescent bulb purchases today. This hurdle is on the heels of the phase-out of 100-watt incandescent bulbs in 2012 and 75-watt incandescent bulbs in 2013, mandated under the Energy and Security Act of 2007 signed into law by President Bush.

“It used to be that consumers could simply walk into a store and grab almost any bulb off the shelf, and it would work just fine. But now, choosing the right bulb requires an understanding of new measures for brightness and color, as well as applications for indoor versus outdoor use, and enclosed and open fixtures. In addition, overall fit and performance vary by technology and brand,” said Adam Borut, president of Eco Hatchery, the developer of Light Bulb Finder.

Available as a free download on iOS and Android smartphones and tablets, the Light Bulb Finder app does all the heavy lifting, translating consumers’ needs into energy-efficiency terminology. It provides on-demand recommendations for energy-saving light emitting diodes (LEDs) and compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) that fit both standard and specialty fixtures, and produce the good light quality consumers expect.

The app is not affiliated with any particular brands or retailers. It is supported primarily by regional utilities that are tasked to help consumers switch to energy-efficient lighting.

Consumers can use Light Bulb Finder at home or in stores to find the most suitable light bulbs for their fixtures, from kitchen spots to candelabra lights and dimmable bulbs. Users create shopping lists for easy reference in stores or, in some areas, buy bulbs through the app.

Based on current incandescent bulb types and fixtures, the app recommends energy-saving equivalents and displays bulb images along with detailed specifications in the same format as the standard product labels. Bulb recommendations prioritize light quality, price, energy savings, payback, and performance.

Awarded “Best Overall App” by the EPA in its Apps for the Environment Challenge, Light Bulb Finder is continually updated to keep pace with current market trends. The app now includes many new LED options to meet growing consumer demand. LEDs are starting to drop in price and last about 25 years longer than incandescent bulbs. While the upfront cost of LEDs is higher than CFLs and other efficient lighting technologies, they last much longer and the associated cost of energy over the lifetime of the bulb is lower. Currently, they claim only a fraction of the market, but interest is growing fast.

“U.S. consumers waste a lot of energy. Switching to energy-efficient lighting is one of the easiest and fastest ways to cut down on the waste,” said Borut, adding that Light Bulb Finder instantly calculates the energy savings and financial payback of switching one or many bulbs.

To see how much you can save in your own home with energy-efficient lighting, visit the app store to download the free app (search for “Light Bulb Finder”).