As the weather begins to turn colder and the wonderful sights and sounds of autumn and winter are upon us, many people are beginning to think about making their homes warm and cosy while focusing on reducing energy bills and minimising outgoings. Right now it can be extremely important to choose the right lighting options, to create the perfect ambience without having to worry about money, and LED lighting is certainly going to be a popular selection this year.
What is LED lighting?
When it comes to LEDs, many people make the mistake of thinking of the bright, multi-coloured strip lights that are widely used in decor and for events. While these have their place within the home, the good news is that LED lighting is much more than this and there are multiple options for simple lighting solutions that look as fantastic as they perform.
With LEDs, or light-emitting diodes, an electrical current is passed through a microchip and a collection of tiny LED lights is illuminated. These can be situated within bulbs in a range of shapes and sizes and can be chosen to meet the needs of specific rooms in terms of warm or coolness, colour and even strength.
Incandescent light bulbs however, convert electricity into light by heating a filament until it emits a form of electromagnetic radiation. The difference in how the two affect energy prices mainly relates to how well electricity is converted. With traditional light bulbs producing more heat than light, there is a lot of energy wastage, and not only do LEDs produce far less, but they also have a heat-sink to ensure safer and cheaper use.
Top attributes of LEDs
Now that we have a simple understanding of what LEDs are and how they work, let’s take a look at the top reasons why you should change the bulbs in your home as soon as possible.
Energy efficiency
LEDs are a form of solid state lighting which means that semiconductors are used to convert electricity into light. Their main function is to promote energy efficiency and you may be surprised to learn that they use as much as 90% less energy than their counterparts, while also lasting around 25-40 times longer. This means that you can use the lights within your home for the same amount of time and reduce your energy bills with LED lighting just by making a simple switch.
Versatility
One of the great things about LEDs is that they are extremely durable and come in a wide variety of forms. Whether you want to add some additional lighting underneath your kitchen cabinets, illuminate outdoor spaces for fun or safety, or even brighten up the inside of your car; there is an LED out there for every use. The great news is that as they are so versatile, they are becoming more widely adopted. There is plenty of innovation within the niche too, so where they were once relatively expensive to buy, they are now highly affordable.
Durability
LEDs are far more durable than incandescent bulbs, and not only will users find flexibility within the design and more hardy materials used, but they also have the ability to provide instant lighting, better operate in cold conditions (where incandescents can fail) and can withstand frequent switching. They also have no UV emissions, so they can be more beneficial for everyday use within homes and won’t damage or degrade specific materials.
A greater environmental impact
For those who want to have a better focus on being environmentally friendly, LEDs not only have the capacity to be more energy efficient, but there are also a host of secondary environmental benefits. For example, the manufacturing process is much simpler and LEDs won’t need special handling at the end of their lifespan (to minimise broken glass and chemical spills associated with fluorescent bulbs and vapor lights that use mercury).
Increased money-saving potential
Another area where LEDs can help homeowners save money this autumn and winter is with the dimmable capabilities, motion sensors and the ability to set bulbs on timers or link them to home software that can switch them on and off as necessary. This means that you can tailor their use and won’t have to worry about lights being left on when you’re not at home or you’re not using them.
It can be so simple to reduce your energy bills with LEDs right now, so what are you waiting for?
