Rising electricity bills are proving to be a problem for many UK households, with several having to make difficult lifestyle changes.
But what if we told you there was a simple, long-term, cost-efficient, and sustainable way to tackle these rising energy bills? And rather than having to make uncomfortable lifestyle changes, it would instead enhance the ambience and brightness of your home.
According to energysavingtrust lighting makes up 11% of the average UK household electricity consumption, hence tackling energy usage in your lighting can really make a difference in combating rising electricity bills.
Fortunately, you don’t need to be an electrician or completely re-adjust your lifestyle to reap these energy-saving benefits.
One major cost-effective way to begin cutting down on your energy usage, is to make the switch to light emitting diodes (LED) by simply replacing your old halogen or incandescent lamps with LED lights.
Light Emitting Diodes
LEDs are the most common and adaptable light fittings, and are ideal for replacing dimmable lights and spotlights, perfect for downlights, lamps, integrated light fittings, etc. They are also perfect for general lighting, outdoor lighting, and crystal chandeliers. Although the initial cost of LEDs can be expensive, its long-life span, energy saving capabilities, and the range of fitting capabilities etc, make it cost-effective in the long run, and help to improve the quality of lighting in your home.
This is because, unlike traditional/incandescent light bulbs or halogen light bulbs, LEDs use almost 90% less energy, and can last up to 5 times longer than normal bulbs before they need replacing, making them the most energy-efficient light bulbs for your home or business.
Pygmy Lamps are great replacement light sources, with high energy efficiency, high lumen maintenance, and colour selectable options.
We stock the Integral LED ILPYGE14N001 non-dimmable frosted Pygmy lamp with warm white light, which is an energy-efficient light ideal for use in fridges, and other displays that have limited space. It has an A++ energy rating which helps users maintain low energy costs throughout the year.
GLS (or General Lighting Service) Lamps are bulbs that use energy-saving technology to improve energy efficiency, whilst maintaining the look and feel of the traditional and distinctive light bulb shape that is widely recognised.
The Integral LED ILGLSE27NF070 5.5w 5000k 500lm E27 LED non-dimmable frosted globe GLS lamp with daylight white light, is a great all-purpose retrofit light bulb that offers great energy saving capabilities. It is suitable for rooms with a single pendant fitting as well as living rooms, hallways, and kitchens.
Decorative LED lights are an energy efficient solution for styling your home to suit the needs and decor of different areas in your home. They can either be used to make a statement, complement a style, accentuate certain focal details, or add a specific ambience to different areas of in your home. The Integral LED ILGLOBE27N003 2.5w 1800k 170lm 95mm E27 LED non-dimmable sunset filament globe lamp is an authentic classic design with warm white light. It is manufactured using the latest LED filament technology allowing energy savings of up to 85%, compared to incandescent lamps. It has an A+ energy rating with an improved lifetime of 15,000 hours. Its long-life span adds to its efficiency, as it means there is less of a need to regularly replace the light, this also has trickle down cost-saving effect as it lasts longer, saving you money on replacements.
LED 2D Bulkheads are handy and versatile lighting sources, perfect for external lighting systems as they provide protection against damp environments, harsh weather, damage, and dust ingress. They have high energy-saving capabilities – as they won’t need to be replaced as regularly as traditional bulbs – complemented by their extremely low costs.
If you’re looking for lighting sources to brighten areas of your home with evenly distributed, shadow-free light, look no further. The LED Downlighters create a clear and bright illumination for areas in your home that may require high quality lighting such as bathrooms and kitchens. Thanks to the LED capabilities of these downlights, you can avoid the costly and high energy waste would otherwise come with traditional bulbs.
In addition, one way to improve your home security is with LED floodlights. These are used to illuminate external areas of your home that are most likely to face security issues such as gardens, car parking spaces, and for businesses to highlight signs and parking areas. We stock motion sensing LED floodlights which can detect possible security threats such as intruders, putting your mind at ease. They are 90% more energy efficient than traditional light bulbs and come with exceptionally low costs.
LED Strip lights are a stylish and discreet energy saving lighting alternative to traditional lights, ideal for illuminating certain areas as well as adding a specific ambience of your choice to a room in your home. Because of its discreetness and minimal heat produced, it is perfect for installation in several areas that traditional lights would otherwise not fit in. They are also much cheaper long term and use 90% less energy than traditional bulbs.
LED vapour-proof luminaires are IP65 rated lighting sources that can withstand small water droplets and vapours making them ideal in kitchen or cold store applications. Switching to LED vapour proof luminaires will help reduce energy costs due to being 90% more energy efficient than traditional bulbs, and their long lifespan allowing you to use them for 5 times longer than traditional lamps before a replacement is required. The vapour proof luminaires we stock at Go Sparky offer a wide illumination area due to its 120-degree beam angle. In addition, they are manufactured with a glare reducing opaque finish, saving you from possible eye strain.
As highlighted, switching to LEDs has great money saving benefits due to its cost-effectiveness and long-life span reducing the need to replace too often. Thanks to this, a switch from an incandescent bulb would save you up to £15 per bulb per year, while the switch from halogen bulbs would save you up to £6 per bulb per year.
Overall, you could see savings of up to £55 per year on your electricity bill and a cut down on energy usage, simply from replacing all the bulbs in your home with LED lights.
Other ways to reduce your energy usage and cut down on your electricity bill include; the use of sensors or timers on smart automated devices, which automatically turn lights on or off when necessary. This is particularly handy with the golden rule passed down from generations; switch lights off when leaving a room that is no longer in use, as they detect the usage of energy and turn them off when not in use.
- The HALO MOON10WPIR Moonraker 10W IP65 6000K LED floodlight with PIR which provides 6000K lumens of bright white light, is a high-grade floodlight that is powered by energy efficient, longer lasting LEDs. The PIR sensor enables the floodlight to detect infrared radiation from all heat emitting objects, making for rapid motion response for improved home or business security. The PIR sensor makes it ideal for high level illumination and security in commercial, retail, and domestic environments.
We would also recommend lighting with dimmable capabilities as they help reduce the exertion of power going to your light source by controlling energy flow, therefore saving energy, and extending the life span of the light source/bulb.
Some energy efficient dimmable lights we stock to aid you in tackling energy usage include:
- The Integral LED ILMR16DC037 4.6w 2700k 380lm MR16 GU53 LED dimmable lamp with warm white light, which provides directional light with a beam angle that is similar to halogen lights, except, it comes with money saving and energy saving benefits thanks to the integrated LEDs.
- Integral LED ILST64E27D003 5w 1800k 380lm E27 is a Dimmable LED Sunset Clear Amber Lamp/Light Bulb which allows energy savings of 93% compared to the incandescent lamps it replaces. It is built using the latest LED filament tech, with an A+ energy rating. It is ideal for creating a relaxing ambience in your home thanks to its ultra-warm LED lights.
Carbon emissions savings:
In addition, apart from the money saving capabilities of switching to LED lights, you can lower your carbon footprint and contributions to climate change. For instance, you can save roughly 5 kg in carbon emissions when you switch from traditional halogen bulbs. That would mean that you can save around 63 kg in carbon emissions when you replace all bulbs in your home with LED options. It is estimated that if all households in Britain were to switch to LED bulbs, we could collectively save 1.7 million tonnes of CO2 emissions per year.
Check out the work we do at Go Sparky to tackle climate change: https://ecologi.com/gosparky
In conclusion, the switch to LED lighting has several benefits for you and your household; from helping you save and manage rising electricity bills during the cost-of-living crisis, to ensuring you’re getting the best value for your money, and even contributing to tackling climate change. All of this whilst improving the quality of lighting in your home.
It is clear why so many others have made the switch to LEDs … what’s stopping you?
And last of all, remember to turn lights off when leaving a room or when you don’t need it…