This article looks at the differences between old-fashioned tungsten light bulbs, which are due to be phased out in Australia, UK and the US over the next five years, and the new, energy-efficient types. Most people are a little shocked by the considerable difference in price of the new bulbs, compared to traditional ones. This is mainly caused by the fact that making compact fluorescents is expensive and complicated, compared with incandescents, in part because of the electronic controls each bulb contains, and in part because swirls, for example, remain partly hand crafted. To make each spiral, a worker takes a tube of glass, holds it over an open flame, then wraps the heat softened tube around a metal form, which requires a skilful hand so the tube is not flattened while getting its spiral shape.
