If you want to save on your power bills, there’s no simpler way than by replacing your old light bulbs with energy saving ones. Modern energy saving light bulbs may cost a little more upfront, but over time they can save you up to a staggering 90% of your lighting bill.
This small investment on your part can change the way you view energy consumption in your home and save you thousands of dollars in the long-term.
What is energy saving lighting?
Energy saving lighting is a simple concept.
The lighting in an average home accounts for around 10% of the energy usage, but by changing the light bulbs to more modern, energy efficient bulbs, we can bring that figure down to around 2-3%.
When you talk about commercial premises that number is even more noticeable. For an average business in Australia, lighting makes up between 20 and 40% of the overall electricity bill.
This translates to thousands of dollars saved over time, and for a small business, can mean the difference between staying in the black or falling into the red.
How energy saving lighting compares to traditional bulbs
Compared to traditional incandescent light bulbs, energy saving light bulbs such as halogen, compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), and light emitting diodes (LEDs) typically use about 75% less energy.
To put that in perspective, a 60W LED light will only cost a dollar to run per year on average. They also can last up to a staggering 25 times longer than usual light bulbs.
Today’s energy saving bulbs also come in a wide-range of options, including different colours, sizes, and light levels.
New light bulb regulations in Australia
Following on from the European Union’s decision, last month the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) Energy Ministers agreed to phase out inefficient incandescent light bulbs and introduce minimum standards for LED lamps in Australia.
The move will phase out traditional incandescent and halogen bulbs where there are equivalent LED light bulb replacements.
The switch is expected to deliver around $1.4 billion in benefits to households and businesses, through savings on their electricity bills and a reduction in light bulb replacement costs.
Alternative to the old bulbs
To make the switch to energy saving light bulbs, there are three main options.
Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) use 85% less energy than traditional bulbs, which generate light by passing a current through layers of a semi-conducting material housed in a chip. Since LEDs do not scatter light and energy, they are the most efficient option when it comes to lighting a home and can last more than 15 times longer than a normal bulb.
Compact fluorescent lamps, or CFLs for short, are a cheaper alternative to LEDs. They are more effective when used for long periods of time and use around 25%-35% of the energy used by traditional light bulbs, lasting up to 10 times longer.
Halogen bulbs are the least efficient type of energy saving lighting on this list, but they are the cheapest, with the price of a bulb costing less than $2. This makes the cost of changing all the lights in your home considerably less than the LED option.
Although the initial investment is cheaper, halogen bulbs use around 5 times the energy as LED lights, and 3 times the energy of CFLs, both of which also last considerably longer.
Making the switch in your home
If you want to save thousands on your energy bills, then give us a call today.
We can provide a full energy audit of your home, finding ways to reduce your power usage through LED lighting, motion detectors, and a timer clock.
We can help you choose which energy saving light bulbs to install, and all our LED lights have SAA Australian Safety certification, and carry seven-year warranties, giving you complete peace of mind.
With the old incandescent light bulbs being phased out, the switch is inevitable, so why not make it today and start saving tomorrow.
If you own a business, switching to energy saving lighting is the smart thing to do.
The government is looking to the future when it comes to energy consumption, and it makes more sense financially to get on board now instead of waiting until you have no choice.
Contact us today if you have any questions about our energy audit, or would like to know more about energy saving lighting.
