A lightbulb moment (now that Halogens are banned)

It was only in June this year that the Government announced plans to end the sale of halogen lamps from September. It was short notice, but it’s for the ultimate benefit of all of us. That’s because the LED lights which will take their place use less energy, produce fewer carbon emissions, and help to save money.

LEDs might look like a bad deal compared with halogen equivalents because they cost slightly more but they not only last five times longer than halogens, they also use up to 80% less power. They also offer major environmental benefits. 

We are all aware of the need to reduce our carbon footprint for the sake of limiting climate change. According to the Government’s Business Department, banning halogen lamps will reduce carbon emissions by 1.26 million tonnes annually. That’s the equivalent of taking more than half a million cars off the UK’s roads. Together with other energy efficiency improvements for electrical appliances – announced in the same package of measures – emissions will be reduced every year by the equivalent of the year’s combined carbon emissions of Birmingham and Leeds.

The same package of improvements will also save consumers an average of £75 a year off their energy bills – more than making up for a little extra on the price tag of an LED lamp.

The Government is doing even more to throw light on the situation and make it easier to choose the most energy-efficient lighting.  The existing A+, A++ and A+++ energy-efficiency rating displayed on lamp packaging is being changed to a simpler A-G scale. At the same time, the energy efficiency requirement at each level is being raised, which means fewer lamps will achieve the top ‘A’ rating.

Shining a light

Whether you’re buying new LED lamps for home or workplace, your best option is to choose a reputable manufacturer or supplier.

For the workplace, ERIKS even offer a lighting survey to help you identify the most energy- and cost-efficient lighting options and systems, whether it’s for factory floors and warehouses, or offices and storerooms. Solutions such as PIR motion sensors – to automatically turn off lights when no personnel are present – can dramatically reduce your energy wastage, energy costs, and carbon footprints.

ERIKS can also illuminate you about next-generation lighting concepts, such as circadian lighting. By varying the intensity, colour or wavelengths of light according to the time of day, this can boost health, alertness and productivity. We’ll be shining a light on the science and technology behind it in a later issue of Know+How.