As people all over the country are becoming more conscious about their energy usage and carbon consumption, households will soon see a number of technological changes to reduce emissions.
For some, solar panels will be the automatic choice, with residents looking to benefit from generous government initiatives such as the Green Deal and the feed-in tariff.
Unfortunately, for some properties, solar panels are simply not a viable option. This can depend on restrictions due to planning permission from the local council, or could even be down to the location of a home.
For example, if the property is facing in the wrong direction, solar panels will only be able to achieve the minimum return on energy generation.
If this is the case, don’t give up on your plans for energy efficiency. There are plenty of other options you could potentially look in to.
Instead of looking at solutions on the outside of your property, turn your attention inside. LED lighting would be a cheap and above all easy way to help you reduce your energy bills and keep an eye on the environment.
LED lighting can hugely improve the efficiency of your home, simply by using energy in a more productive way.
While conventional light bulbs give out most of their energy in the form of heat, LEDs run at a much cooler temperature whilst providing an equivalent amount of light. In fact, the technology can be as much as 85 per cent more efficient than incandescent light bulbs.
LED lights can also be directed toward a specific area of the home, providing a more targeted light source than other bulbs. This could see tough to light areas like under stairs lit-up more effectively.
This type of lighting requires much less electricity to power. If you take a standard 60-watt incandescent bulb, its electricity consumption over the year can be an average of 525kWh. In comparison, an LED bulb will only use in the region of 65 kWh.
A single LED lamp could therefore significantly cut carbon emissions. Think of the reductions you could make if you use LEDs throughout a property.
Not only will LEDs minimise the amount of electricity you use in the home, the technology will also last much longer.
Some LED bulbs could be used for a period of 20 years without needing changing. The average incandescent bulb will only last for 750 hours, whereas LED bulbs could keep on producing light for 30,000 hours.
Although the technology will often cost more than an incandescent or fluorescent bulb, the other savings it will deliver are far more beneficial in the long-term. Home lighting could account for as much as seven per cent of your average energy bill, so weigh up the costs and benefits of LED lighting.
Furthermore, for the energy-efficient homeowners, when it comes to disposing of LED lights, they are 100 per cent recyclable, unlike other bulbs.
If you have any more questions about LED lighting technology, talk to experts like Evoenergy to get the facts.
Great idea on the LED bulbs. Not only can some houses not take solar, some people just can’t afford them or don’t want to put up distracting solar panel. Changing light bulbs is a great alternative, and LED is the future, especially for homeowners who plan on being in their houses for decades to come.