With prices significantly rising month on month for just about all everyday essentials it has never been more important to tighten the purse strings where possible. Many of the price rises are beyond our control and households are adjusting their budgets to accommodate these changes.
With rising energy costs having the biggest impact on people’s budgets it has never been more important to save money on the things you can control. Switching your home lighting to LED lighting is the biggest step to reducing your electricity bills.
Many people are reluctant or rather hesitant to make the switch to LED lighting due to a perceived higher initial investment or upfront cost. We will try and explain all the benefits of replacing conventional lighting and how switching to LED lighting will pay for itself up to 50 times over when compared to traditional lighting.
HOW MUCH MONEY CAN I SAVE BY SWITCHING OVER TO LED LIGHTING?
- LED lighting uses significantly less energy when compared to traditional lighting such as halogen, incandescent or fluorescent lighting. In most households a top-of-the-range LED bulb can produce as much as 95% energy saving, in simplest terms you get back in saving £0.95 for every £1 you use for lighting halogens or incandescent lamps.
- LED light bulbs have a much longer lamp life than conventional light bulbs for example a 60-watt halogen GLS light bulb with a 1000-hour lamp life will need to be replaced up to 50 times during the single lamp life of a Philips 4-watt Ultra Efficient LED GLS.
Below is a table comparing the energy consumption of an LED light against its equivalent halogen alternative at 6 hours per day and £0.34 kWh/1000 unit price.
HOW EASY IS IT TO SWITCH TO LEDs?
Although most people replace what they have had in existing fitting by opting to go for the equivalent wattage, replacing based on the lumens is a more accurate way to provide the same amount of light you have had in the room using less energy.
Many people are under the incorrect assumption that to switch over to LED lighting you need to re-wire your light fittings or hire an electrician to install LED light bulbs. The reality is that most LED light bulbs are retrofit replacements for incandescent lamps and if the base caps are the same it’s just a matter of unscrewing the existing traditional lamp and putting the LED in its place.
All you need to do is to determine what the base cap is, the more common ones such as Bayonet Cap or Edison Screw are relatively easy to identify but sometimes the less popular bases like G4 or G9 caps can lead to a bit of confusion. All LEDs will be suitable for light fittings as their operational wattage would always be lower than the maximum wattage of that fitting.
It can get tricky sometimes when it comes to replacing low-voltage light bulbs as the existing transformers or drivers might not be able to perform efficiently at the lower wattage of the LED light bulbs. This is normally the case when replacing low-voltage MR16, AR111 or other similar 12-volt and 24-volt light bulbs.
Speak to one of the technical LED experts to help you if you’re not sure what is needed for your LED conversion
WHAT ARE THE BEST LED LIGHTS FOR EVERY ROOM IN MY HOUSE?
LED light bulbs offer huge flexibility when choosing to light your home from their wide and varied colour temperature to different shapes and sizes you can have an LED light bulb for every room in your home.
- LED Lights for your Kitchen are versatile and provide the same benefits mentioned earlier like huge energy savings and long lamp life. LED spotlights are ideal for use in kitchen track lighting or with fire-rated downlights. The most popular range we stock is the Philips Master Expert Colour spots in either GU10 or MR16 as these are dimmable but also have a colour rendering index of 97 which means they show objects in their truest form.
- Our Bathroom LED Lighting range covers all 3 zones in the bathroom, whether you are looking for a light fitting for inside the shower or a lamp you can use above your mirror we can provide the adequate IP-rated light or fitting to use in your bathroom. Bathroom LED mirrors are increasingly becoming a must-have for modern bathrooms doubling up as a cabinet and coming with integrated shaver sockets and Bluetooth speakers.
- When it comes to Living Room Lighting, LED technology allows more creativity to set the desired ambience for relaxing or entertaining. You can use just about use all the different LED bulbs as they will fit in most light fittings for ceilings, wall lighting or floor and table lamps. Using LED colour-changing strip lighting is another flexible alternative in the living room as it provides lighting in unusual areas. Decorative filament LED bulbs are also very popular in this room as they look good switched on or off.
- The LED Specialist’s range of Bedroom LED lighting lets you create your optimum sanctuary with stunning bedroom ceiling lights, wall lights as well as bedside table lamps. We have wardrobe lights that are either battery-operated or USB rechargeable. LED strip lights are widely used under the bed to create a cosy ambience in the bedroom.
WHAT IS THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF USING LED LIGHT BULBS?
- Most LED bulbs contain little or no hazardous chemicals unlike fluorescent lighting which contains mercury which is not only harmful to humans but when released into the environment can cause catastrophic damage to precious natural elements.
- LED technology has the potential to dramatically reduce carbon emissions around the globe. With around 20% of the world’s electricity is used by lighting. Finding and using a more energy-efficient solution such as an LED will reduce this percentage emphatically.
- LEDs will emit up to 80% fewer greenhouse gases than traditional incandescent or compact fluorescent lights whilst producing the same light output.
CAN SMART LIGHTING REDUCE MY HOUSEHOLD ENERGY BILLS?
One of the biggest lighting trends is Smart Lighting, this is lighting that can be controlled wirelessly using an app or by voice through Amazon Alexa, Google Home, or Apple HomeKit. Smart LED light bulbs can be controlled even if you’re not at home, giving you complete autonomy on your energy consumption.
Having a smart home isn’t limited to just lighting by using a smart Bluetooth Plug or a Smart Wi-Fi plug with your standard electric equipment you can turn them into smart objects. Having a smart home can be a very convenient and energy-saving way to manage lighting and electrical equipment in your home as it allows more flexibility over how you use your lighting.
CONCLUSION
LED light bulbs are a great way to save money on energy bills. We hope that this article has given you some insight into energy-efficient lighting for your home and all the different lamps available. The LED Specialist are the biggest stockist of Philips lighting products and can supply orders for next-day delivery. We also have a huge range of Ledvance Smart lighting products that can be used indoors or outdoors. We have a proven track record of great customer service and experienced lighting experts to assist you with any queries. If you would like more information on anything discussed here or a free energy-saving quote for your home, please get in touch and speak to one of our LED experts.