Why Energy Saving Light Bulbs are the Future
We all want to find ways to save energy in the home – not only will you be doing your bit for the environment but you’ll be saving money too. One of the easiest, quickest and most cost effective ways of saving energy is to replace your current lightbulbs with energy saving lightbulbs. And why wouldn’t you want to illuminate your home using the same amount of light but for less money? Available in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and lighting effects, the only difference you’ll notice is the drop in your electricity bills.
What’s wrong with traditional lightbulbs?
Traditional incandescent bulbs are incredibly inefficient, losing a whopping 90% of their energy to heat rather than light. When you consider that lighting can account for up to 15% of the average household’s electricity bills, a reduction in energy consumption from lighting is an easy way to cut energy usage and save money. It doesn’t matter whether you live in rented accommodation or own your home, have money to spare on household improvements or not, love to get involved with DIY or loathe it, simply changing your light bulbs is easy and cheap.
What types of energy-saving lightbulbs are available?
Energy saving, or halogen, incandescent light bulbs contain a capsule in which a filament is surrounded by gas to increase the efficiency. Being filament bulbs, they are similar to traditional incandescent light bulbs but use between 20-30% less energy.
To dramatically reduce your lighting energy usage, switch to LEDs which use up to a massive 90% less energy than traditional bulbs. As semiconductors, they convert electricity into light and last 25 times longer than incandescents, which is why they have been traditionally used in indicators and traffic lights. They are now available to replace 40W, 60W and 75W bulbs and track lights but are currently far more expensive than any other option. However, given that they last so much longer they may be a worthwhile investment which saves you money in the long term.
The most common type of energy-saving lightbulbs are CFLs (compact fluorescent lamps), which use up to 80% less energy than a traditional incandescent bulb but are far cheaper than LEDs. Shorter, curly versions of the lights you might use in your kitchen or garage, they were just as bright and harsh when they first came onto the market but are now available in warm tones or encased with a film to diffuse the light for soft, ambient lighting. Some are also compatible with dimmer switches.
Whatever energy saving bulbs you decide to buy, make sure they have been Energy Star approved, which rates the lightbulbs for quality as well as efficiency. Energy providers such as AGL Electricity Suppliers will always recommend a switch to energy-saving bulbs but would also advise you to remember to switch off lights in rooms which aren’t being used to further make a dent in your electricity bills.