Free & impartial energy advice for anyone in Fife

Energy Efficient Lighting

by |Published

 

While lighting our homes doesn’t make up a significant amount of the average energy bill, upgrading to energy-efficient lighting is one of the easiest and least expensive DIY energy efficiency upgrades you can make.

 

Switch them off

Even if you choose to upgrade your lighting, you can still make simple changes to reduce your consumption even more. One of the oldest energy-saving tricks in the book is to switch off your lighting when you leave the room.

 

Upgrade to LEDs

If you still have older incandescent or halogen bulbs lighting up your home, they’re wasting energy and costing you money. LEDS are the most energy efficient option available and now the most readily available in the shops.

Not only do LEDS cost a lot less to run but they should last a lot longer too. Most LEDS are expected to work for around 10-20 years at least before needing to be replaced compared to around 2 years for the average halogen bulb.

If you upgrade to LEDS you could epxect to save around £45 a year on your energy bills. Making your money back from upgrading in less than a year.

If you have a dimmer switch it’s important to ensure your LED is compatiable. Most standard LEDS will not work with dimmer controls so make sure to purchase a suitable bulb.

 

Colour choice

Not only do LEDS save you money but you have much more choice surrounding how they light up your home. Most standard LEDS can output different ‘colours’ of light which can meet different needs. It can be important to ensure you choose the type best suited for your room.

  • Warm White bulbs offer a cosy and warm feeling. They are the most generally suited for rooms in your home
  • Very warm white bulbs can give a glow similar to traditional incandescent bulbs, so if you want a more traditional feeling for your living room you may want to opt for this type
  • Cool white bulbs can offer a more clear, often clinical white. You may not want these in your living areas but they can work well in rooms such as kitchens and bathrooms.

On top of the standard lighting colours some LEDS are also able to change colour which can be fun for children too.

 

Smart Lighting

Smart LEDS can be controlled by home automation systems or apps on your phone which allow you to set routines for when your lights come on and off. They can also be used to switch off the lights if you forgot too when you’ve left the house.

 

Finding the Right LED

For a time, we used the wattage of a bulb to refer to how bright a bulb would be. With LEDS that’s no longer a case. They’re much lower wattage but they can still output the same, if not greater light than traditional bulbs.

To decide how bright, you need your bulb you need to look at the Lumens, not wattage on a LED.

You can use the table below to gauge how bright a bulb will be before you purchase it.

 

40 Watt  470 Lumens
60 Watt 800 Lumens
100 Watt 1500 Lumens

 

Support from Cosy Kingdom

Are you needing advice or support around lighting your home? Our energy advisors are here to help. Get in touch to arrange a free and impartial home visit from a member of the team.