Are LED light bulbs really better for the environment than incandescent
As you know, we’re huge fans of LED light bulbs here at Chez Green.
Mr Green has BUILT them for the downstairs which run off small solar panels. I know, what a guy!
The upstairs lighting is a mix of LED bulbs which we have bought, a couple of old CFLs (which are doing time until they stop working) and a couple of incandescents, because there are times when only an incandescent will do.
The other day I came across some LED bulbs in a local shop and noticed how much they had reduced in cost since we bought our first ones; as predicted by Mr Green back in 2009 when he wrote “What’s the point of LED lighting?”
Sure, they are still more expensive than the conventional ones, but the savings soon add up.
As the infographic below from Inui shows, you could save £66 per year by switching to 12 LEDs in your home;meaning your investment would soon pay for itself.
Even more startling is the positive impact on the environment…
If every household in the UK switched to just ONE LED bulb, it would be the equivalent of taking 250,000 cars off the road.
Now that’s worth thinking about.
I love to share the message that being green isn’t about one person doing everything; it’s about all of us taking small steps that add up to significant impact.
And according to the Energy Saving Trust, here are five simple ways you can reduce the environmental impact of lighting in your home:
- Even if you pop out of a room for a moment, turn the lights off.
- Become aware of the lights you have on and ask yourself whether they all need to be used.
- Place light switches in convenient places so you turn them off as you walk past.
- For outdoor lighting, use a sensor and timers, so they don’t get left on by accident.
- Consider having different sorts of lighting in different rooms – brighter, concentrated LEDS for reading and lower level, background light for watching TV.
What about you – have you made the switch to LED lighting? How do you find it?
