A new column by Otley 2030 about the small and simple changes we can make to reduce our carbon footprint and save money too.

Week 4 - Change to LED lightbulbs

LED lighting – good for your pocket and good for the planet.

It’s great that the lighter days and nights are back for the next six months. We benefit in so many ways from natural daylight, getting essential jobs done inside and outside the home. Reading a book, getting on with a DIY or craft project is so much easier in good light. Best of all - natural daylight is free.

This is a good time of year to think about the type of lighting we use in our homes, offices and workshops and make some changes.

Approximately 15 -18 per cent of our home’s energy bill is spent on lighting. So, how can we make some further savings on our bills, lower our carbon footprint and benefit from more useful, comfortable and safer lighting?

A light bulb moment

A gradual change to LED (Light Emitting Diode) lighting does save money and reduce each home’s carbon emissions, and is much safer to recycle.

LED lights use 75 per cent less energy than incandescent, halogen, or compact fluorescent lighting. And LED’s do not become hot, unlike halogen and incandescent lights, which can be associated with burns and property fires, such as the one at Windsor Castle in 1992.

Lighting legislation changed in October 2021; halogen lights will no longer be on sale, and by 2023 fluorescent and traditional tube lighting won’t be sold either. You can read more here: https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/advice/lighting/

How long do light bulbs last?

LED lights illuminate for more hours. The average lifetime of an LED bulb can be 25,000 hours, (almost three years) compared to 2,000 for halogen and 8,000 for compact fluorescent lights.

In 2002 when the first LED lights were available for purchase in the UK, they were expensive! 20 years later the prices have dropped significantly, and they can be bought from £3 each.

When purchasing your new lights, do read the reviews, browse specialist websites, send an e-mail or call for advice.

You can save pounds by bulk buying with family, friends or a community group and ask your energy supplier if they have any offers. Warranties on LED light bulbs last for two to four years, so keep your proof of purchase.

There is an LED for every lighting need; why not start with replacing the bulb in a reading lamp?

If you only make one change this week, replace one of your lightbulbs with an LED bulb.

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