The brightest bulbs: New LEDs unveiled at Philly Lightfair

The technology of super energy-efficient LED light bulbs has been surging along.

Seems like only a year or so ago, the best that was out there was nightlights. Then came bulbs you could only use as mood lights. Now, the industry is getting ever-closer to actual reading lights!

This week at a lighting trade show, Lightfair International, held in Philadelphia, companies are trotting out their latest, and it's a welcome sight for someone like me with aging eyes.

Philips Lighting North America has unveiled an LED equivalent for a 75-watt incandescent.

Osram Sylvania also unveiled one, as well as a prototype of a 100-watt equivalent.

And Switch Lighting brought out its 100-watt equivalent.

LED stands for light-emitting diode, and they're powerhouses. Generally, they use 80 percent less energy than an incandescent.  They're expensive, to be sure -- we're talking along the order of $40 a bulb. But they last 20 to 25 times longer. As one proponent said to me not long ago, "they'll last longer than your roof." You could just about put them in your will to leave to your heirs.

Philips estimates its bulb will actually save a consumer $160 over its life.

I know the light quality wasn't always there with LEDs. It was distinctly blueish in the beginning. But the new versions have the same warmth that incandescents do. Some are even dimmable.

Even so, manufacturers say LED technology is in its infancy, roughly equivalent to the brick-sized cell phones that first came out. Look for more and better.

Meanwhile, how many times do we have to repeat this: No, the government is not "banning" incandescent bulbs come January, not matter what some radio talkshow knuckleheads might be spouting.  The government has mandated efficiency standards for bulbs. Since incandescents waste about 80 percent of their energy, giving it off as heat, many won't be able to meet the standards.

However, some companies will be able to meet those standards with incandescents simply by adding halogen to the mix, which makes the bulb more efficient.

CFLs will likely meet the new standards. But in my house, I'm leapfrogging to the LEDs wherever I can. Different bulbs pay back in differing numbers of years -- it also depends on how much you use them -- but I'm expecting a payback on a 25-year bulb in less than seven.

So go ahead. Hoard incandescents if you want, as some are doing. But I prefer to save money and take a little load off the region's power plants.