In depth guide to energy efficient lighting - The best choice for you?
Energy efficient lighting helps lower electricity bills and carbon dioxide emissions, all without reducing the quality of light in our homes. If you replace all the bulbs in your home with LED lights, you could reduce your carbon dioxide emissions by up to 40kg a year. This is equivalent to the carbon dioxide emitted by driving your car around 145 miles. Lighting makes up 11% of the average UK household electricity consumption, so making the switch could help you save money too. This guide explores what lighting solution is right for you.
Traditional or incandescent light bulbs were invented more than 100 years ago and are extremely inefficient. Only about 5% of the electricity they use converts into visible light. What’s more, the bulbs don’t last long because the filament that creates the light evaporates as heat passes through it.
Halogen light bulbs use the same filament technology as traditional bulbs but run at a higher temperature, making them slightly more efficient. They are mainly used in spotlight fittings. Traditional incandescent and the least efficient halogen light bulbs are being taken off the market in favour of energy efficient alternatives. Instead of these energy inefficient designs, we can use modern replacements to provide the same amount of light, but for less electricity.