Chic CFLs? Odd but True

The energy efficient light bulb has entered into a whole new arena thanks to British company, Plumen. In my three years promoting energy efficiency, I have heard the compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL) described in many many ways, but chic? Never.

A new product is on the market that won the Brit Insurance Designs of the Year 2011 award. It beat 90 other entries including the Apple iPad! Interested yet? I would like to introduce you to the Plumen 001 - the world’s first “designer” energy saving light bulb. Now there’s a sentence I thought I would never write.

The bulb is currently selling for about $30, but honestly it looks so cool on its own that you probably won’t even want a lampshade to cover it. The aesthetically interesting bulb not only pleases the eye, but the wallet.

It has the same energy efficient benefits as other CFLs and Plumen even claims it has less mercury than other CFLs.

If your bulb ever burns out, you can send it back to the company (or the store where purchased) and they will recycle it for you. As of May 2011, the Plumen 001 (110v only) is available for purchase in the United States at a couple of select stores in NYC, and on the company website.

I’m curious to see how the normal (i.e. not living and breathing energy efficiency everyday) public reacts to the bulb, but I’m a sucker for things like this. I think I might just have to jump on the designer CFL bandwagon.