Low Energy Lighting...

• Can use up to 80% less energy than traditional tungsten bulbs.
• There is a low energy alternative for nearly all light fittings, even dimmable and outside lights.
•  If you replace a traditional bulb with a Compact Fluorescent Bulb (CFL) of the same brightness you should save approximately £3 per year which over the lifetime of the bulb could amount to £55.
• If you replace a 50w halogen downlighter with a 6w LED bulb you will typically save £4 per year or £70 over the lifetime of the bulb.
• The wattage of a bulb tells you how much power it uses, not how bright it is.  The brightness of a bulb is measured in lumens - the more lumens a bulb produces, the brighter it is. It is worth comparing the lumens and the
  energy ratings of different bulbs.
• Buy the wattage of bulb that matches your needs (and the rating of the fitting).  A traditional 100w can be replaced by a 20w energy saving bulb. Guidance on the wattage of the energy saving bulb you need will be on the packaging of the bulb.
• The light quality of CFL’s and LED’s can vary.  If you want a light that looks the same as a traditional bulb, buy a warm white or soft white bulb with a Colour Rendering Index (CRI) of at least 0.8.  You should find the CRI of a bulb on its packaging.

Activity for Week 4

Check all the bulbs in your home and see if any can be replaced with low energy bulbs.  If you still have some old traditional tungsten bulbs, use your team’s Energy Monitor (ask your Energy Master if you are unsure where it is) and look at the difference in energy use when using an energy efficient light bulb compared to your traditional bulb.  Now convert the difference in energy use to money – scary!

Did you know?

• You will always save energy if you turn the light off when you need it, even if you are only leaving the room for 2 minutes!
• If you have an external light that comes on when the neighbourhood cat walks past or is set off by the wind, put the light on a timer so that it doesn’t come on at all during the late night-time hours.
• Some people have expressed concerns about the toxicity of CFL bulbs as they contain mercury.  The amount however, is very small, only 5 milligrams, which is the same as the amount of ink at the top of a ball point pen - they remain perfectly safe to use.  In the long-term these energy saving bulbs help to reduce mercury pollution because burning fossil fuels, such as coal, is the biggest source of airbourne mercury.

Want to do more?

Why don't you investigate replacing some of your lights with LED ones? LED lights run on a very low wattage and can last up to 50 years before they need replacing.  In recent years LED lights have improved a great deal and soft tone bulbs are now available for a wide variety of fittings. Better still their price has dropped considerably. You may find that it is a cost effective option to replace your halogen down lighters with LED versions.

For more information on the different light bulbs available and how to choose what you need, visit the lighting page of the Energy Saving Trust website.