The Energy Crisis – How LED Lighting Can Help

Incandescent

Before LED technology was prominent in the consumer market, incandescent bulbs were the ‘go to’ for almost every light fitting. Generally speaking, incandescent bulbs give a warm and fairly good quality light, however, their lifespan, energy consumption and heat emission is much worse than that of LED lighting.

Fluorescent

Fluorescent lighting was a first step towards energy efficient lighting, however, it is not without its problems. Cool colour temperatures that do not suit the residential environment being one. Fluorescent lighting also takes its time to illuminate. Even though this type of lighting is more efficient than incandescent and halogen, it is not as efficient as LED lighting, nor as versatile.

Halogen

Remember that security flood light outside of your house that rarely worked because the bulbs kept burning out? That was probably a Halogen bulb. Halogen bulbs can have an extremely high output, however, they are extremely inefficient and produce lots of unwanted heat. Halogen bulbs have been banned in the UK since 2018, old stock is still available to purchase.

LED

Of course, over the past 10-15 years, consumers have been replacing Incandescent, Halogen and other types of lighting with LED fittings and bulbs. When LED lighting entered the market, it was considered an expensive option, however, the progress and adoption of the technology has seen prices tumble and that is what we are about to talk more about.

Lighting contributes to 15-20% of the average households energy consumption. Switching to full LED lighting will reduce that figure to around 5%. That is a fairly significant number when you consider all of the appliances your household uses. Let’s take a look at some key facts and figures that make LED lighting an all-round winner.

• Incandescent & Halogen bulbs have a life span of roughly 2000 hours. The minimum lifespan for LED lighting is 10,000 hours or more.
• If you swap a 60W halogen bulb for an equivalent 9W LED bulb you will save a huge 85% in energy consumption.
• LED lighting draws much less power than other bulb types but still achieves the same brightness.
• LED lighting is available in any colour temperature. The rumours that LED lighting is cold are simply not true. Always look for the kelvin rating on the box!
• LED’s can be retrofitted to your existing lighting. Swapping over to LED will literally be as simple as changing a lightbulb. Just check which bulb holder your lighting uses.

Save £15 per bulb per year on 100 watt incandescent bulbs.

Save £10 per bulb per year on 75 watt incandescent bulbs.

Save £7 per bulb per year on 60 watt incandescent bulbs.

Save £4 per bulb per year on 40 watt incandescent bulbs.

Retro Fitting LED Bulbs

If you love your existing lighting, there may not be any need to change it! Manufacturers have produces LED bulbs in all shapes, sizes and outputs that will fit almost any bulb holder. It can be tricky to select exactly which bulb you need, however, the team at Lightsource are here to help! It’s important to consider whether you want the lighting to be dimmable or not as many retro fit bulbs will not having dimming capability. You must match colour temperatures within a room so consider buying each bulb from the same manufacturer to have unity in your lighting scheme.

Built In LED Modules

Dedicated LED light fittings are becoming extremely popular and common for manufacturers. When light fittings are supplied with LED modules it means that the lighting output has been thoroughly thought through and is perfect for the given fitting. Built in LED modules will often be rated for an extremely long time and come with manufacture warranties. It is important to consider your dimming systems or lighting controls when buying this type of lighting. Why not book a free lighting consultation to make sure you are buying the right lighting for your requirements?