Last up to 15 times longer and save 20% of your energy
That’s the green credentials for switching to low energy light bulbs. Reduce your energy bills and help protect the environment – it couldn’t be simpler
Will it make much of difference?
Low energy light bulbs or Compact Fluorescents Lamps (CFLs) to give them their technical name use around 80% less energy than traditional light bulbs. Swapping a single bulb will save you £2.50 - £9 a year whilst fitting all the lights in your house with low energy equivalents could be saving you around £70. But the savings don’t stop there! They last up to 10 times longer than a standard bulb so over their lifetime they could save you £40 or £540 for the average house. Plus you don’t have the hassle of replacing blown bulbs every year.
Still doesn’t sound like much? It might seem like a small change, but if every home in the UK changed just 3 light bulbs, enough energy would be saved to light the UK’s street lamps. Now that would make a significant contribution to cutting carbon dioxide emissions.
They look ugly and give off a strange light
True the first generation of CFLs were a bit ugly looking, took a while to warm up and many people complained they gave off a harsh, cold light. Well a lot has changed since then as the market for low energy bulbs has matured. Candle shaped, stick shaped, traditional, screw fit, bayonet cap, dimmable, soft tone – you name it, they are now available in almost any style to suit all your lighting needs (see the picture on the right above). So if you were previously turned off by low energy lights its time to give them another try.
What about LEDs?
If you’re still not convinced by CFLs you could always opt for LEDs which are by far the most energy efficient option and last up to 10 times longer than CFLs. Originally used for instrument panel lighting, recent advances in technology have produced LEDs suitable for all domestic lighting applications (see the picture on the left above). They will cost you quite a bit more to install than traditional bulbs or CFLs but their lifetime energy savings are very substantial. They are also available in whole range of colours and tones providing a wealth of opportunity for creative domestic lighting applications.
Need more information?
The Energy Saving Trust website is a good source of information about climate change generally including lighting:
http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/Home-improvements-and-products/Lighting
I still think that low energy bulbs have a long way to go as far as giving off a 'soft' light rather than a harsh white light but the energy saving is worth the alternative in most cases....
ReplyDeleteI have changed most of my lightbulbs to the energy saving type,I also have the halogen downlighters, which I will be getting rid off, the cost of the bulb is quite high and they are quite prone to failing.
ReplyDeleteBrent going green is a good iniatiative and hopefully will have a positive outcome for Brents residents.