75 Watt Light Bulbs

75 Watt Light Bulbs

After remaining the same for decades, electric lighting has undergone some major changes over the last several years. Today, you can choose among many different types of light bulbs that last longer and use much less electricity. To try to be as straightforward as possible, however, manufacturers still label their products with traditional wattage numbers, and you can find a range of 75 watt light replacement bulbs here at Walgreens.

Understanding CFLs, LEDs, and Halogens

For almost a century, traditional incandescent light bulbs had all but cornered the market on illuminating the average home. Since these bulbs were not designed to be energy-efficient, however, new innovations in lighting technology quickly shoved them aside. Today, incandescent lights are basically a thing of the past and you will need to choose between three newer types of light bulbs: halogens, CFLs, and LEDs.

Halogen light bulbs resemble the traditional blubs you're used to, but they use halogen gas to glow just as brightly while using far less electricity. These bulbs light instantly and can be used with dimmer switches, but they don't last as long as CFLs or LEDs.

CFL (which stands for Compact Fluorescent Light) light bulbs have a signature coil shape and use mercury to produce their light. The glow emitted by these bulbs is cooler in color than that from halogens. CFLs take longer to fully light, but they can last much longer than traditional bulbs.

LEDs are the newest variety of light bulb, and they rely on the movement of electrons for their illumination. These bulbs last the longest and use very little energy, but they aren't as readily available as the other varieties.

Wattage of New Light Bulbs

Since the vast majority of people are familiar with wattage as it relates to old incandescent light bulbs, manufacturers of new bulbs have tried to keep the terminology the same in spite of changing technology. A 75 watt white light bulb is generally considered to be one of the most standard varieties for household use, but the light bulbs you find today don't actually use 75 watts of electricity. Instead, these bulbs emit an equivalent amount of light to a traditional 75 watt bulb while using a fraction of the energy. Both the actual electricity usage and the equivalent amount of light production are listed on the packaging of modern light bulbs.