LED Lighting
What is
LED Lighting
When it comes to lighting the light-emitting diode (LED) is today’s most energy-efficient and rapidly developing / improving technology.
If you haven’t yet changed all your lights from the old type incandescent filament bulbs then you should consider doing so right away.
Quality LED light bulbs last longer, are more durable, and offer comparable or better light quality than other types of lighting and they are highly energy efficient offering as much as a 90% saving over old fashioned incandescent bulbs and about 25% more efficient than even compact fluorescent light bulbs.
To give you an idea a 60w incandescent light bulb would equate to a 15 watt CFL lightbulb which, in turn, would be equal to an LED bulb of around 9 watts.
Whilst they can be a little more expensive initially the savings they will result in and the length of the life means they’ll pay for themselves in no time at all.
LED Light Bulbs Example
Why change to LED light bulbs?
LED lightbulbs have come a long way over recent years – gone are the days when they could hardly light up a cupboard (when they eventually came on)! The latest generation of bulbs are brighter, longer lasting and more eco-friendly than ever before and so there’s no better time to make the switch.
The main reasons to ensure all your lightbulbs are LED:
Energy Efficiency: LED bulbs use less power – up to 90% saving on old style incandescent filament bulbs and 25% over compact fluorescent (CFL) bulbs. You’re therefore going to save money and use significantly less electricity on your lighting.
Environmentally Friendly: Because LED lighting uses less energy you’re going to be reducing CO2 emissions that result from electricity production.
Bulb Life: You’re not going to need to change LED lights very often as they’ll typically last for around 50,000 hours – about 35 times longer than an old incandescent filament bulb.
Brightness: LED bulbs are now just as bright and light up instantly. They are also available in different shade of white / bright and colours as well.
Range: Whatever type of bulb you are looking to replace there’s! an LED alternative available without having to change any of the fittings. Simply remove the old bulb and slot in the LED
Safety: LED bulbs are totally safe and do not emit anywhere near the same degree of heat as a traditional incandescent bulb so they’re safer to handle … even more so when you consider they’re not encased in fragile glass either.
Will changing to LED bulbs really save me money?
Up to 90% less energy than an incandescent bulb and 25% les than a compact fluorescent bulb means that you’re going to save money.
Sure, changing a single lightbulb isn’t going to make a huge impact on your pocket but just count up how many bulbs you have in your house – main lights, outside lights, wall lights, lamps, spot-lights, desk lamps etc
Change all those and you’ll notice a difference for certain with best estimates suggesting a saving of between £2 and £3 per bulb per year when changing from halogen.
Will LED bulbs fit my lights or will I have to modify them?
LES light bulbs come in all shapes, sizes and fittings so it’s almost certain they will fit like for like.
Just make sure you get the right fittings – the main ones are Edison Screw (standard), Small Edison Screw, Bayonet, Small Bayonet and the various spotlight types – there’s an LED for all these fittings. Some are even dimmable.
Likewise the type of bulb. From standard bulbs to golf balls, to candle bulbs to reflectors etc … again, there’s an LED to suit all.
Just as they cater for the different fittings and shapes they also come in a range of brightness (watts) and colours to boot.
Simply remove the old bulb and slot or screw in the replacement and you’re good to go!
How much do LED bulbs cost?
As technology has improved and LED bulbs have become so popular there is more and more competition driven by the increasing market size.
For that reason the price has come down considerably. Nowadays you can see the standard ones advertised on major online retailers for just a couple of quid .. less if you buy in bulk … although we’d always suggest you shop around to make sure you get high quality quality and top energy efficiency for the best price. Value for money over the cheapest.
They’re available everywhere – online retailers, DIY stores, supermarkets, electrical stores, discount shops and more so shop around to get the best deal.
Are grants available for LED light bulbs?
The answer is yes … but only if you live in Northern Ireland although if you’re upgrading lighting in a business there may be help available elsewhere.
Sometimes there are some deals through energy suppliers but, these days their pretty cheap anyway so it won’t represent much of an outlay and you don’t have to do them all at once.