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Eco lighting: why wouldn’t you?  A Buyers Guide to Eco Lighting.

Greta Jonyniate | 02.11.11

For all green households in the UK, here is a brilliant article. “Eco lighting: a buyer’s guide” by Gervase Poulden form the Ecologist, looking in to the best eco lighting solution available at the moment. You can save money and the planet by investing in eco lighting – so why wouldn’t you?

In September, EU legislation finally outlawed old style incandescent light bulbs, although most had already been removed from UK shelves following a voluntary agreement between the Government and manufacturers. Globally, lighting accounts for 20 per cent of overall energy consumption according to a recent report commissioned by Credit Suisse. In the UK, DEFRA estimates that lighting accounts for 19 per cent of energy used in the home. Choosing the right bulbs can mean lower energy bills as well as being good for the environment, so what’s out there and what’s the best choice?

Energy efficient halogen bulbs

Halogen bulbs are a variation on incandescent bulbs and possess a similar tungsten filament. The big difference is that they also contain halogen gas which slows down deterioration, thus extending the life of the bulb. They look and act in a very similar ways to incandescent bulbs and can save between 25 per cent and 30 per cent more energy, which although an improvement, is less of a reduction than other energy-saving bulbs.

Light emitting diodes (LED) 

At the moment, LED lighting is more common in electronics, business and commercial usage. The Co-op, for example, announced in July that it was installing LED lighting in freezers in 800 of its stores. Because LEDs are still a relatively new technology, some products have had problems. The best way to avoid these problems is to go with trusted manufacturers such as Phillips, Osram or Megaman. An LED bulb will probably set you back around £25 but only need to be replaced about four times every century and use less than 10 per cent of the energy of an incandescent, so they can repay their cost within a couple of years. In comparison to CFLs, their lifespan is four times as long and they can be used with dimmer switches.

Compact fluorescent lamps

This is the type of bulbs most often marketed as ‘energy saving’. The compact version of fluorescent bulbs, they are without many of the drawbacks of standard fluorescent lamps: warming up quickly and not so prone to the odd flicker. The quality of the light is also superior, and less akin to something out of The X-Files. The presence of mercury in these bulbs has lead to some sensationalist headlines over the last few years but most of these fears are unfounded, according Peter Hunt. ‘To put it in perspective, the average thermometer has about 10,000 times as much mercury in it than a compact fluorescent bulb’,’ he says. If you break one, it is best not to rub your hand in the mess then put it in your mouth but as long as you avoid that - and remember to recycle the bulbs properly - you should be fine. CFL bulbs have a lifespan of eight times the amount of regular bulbs, and replacing an incandescent bulb with one can reduce the amount of carbon emitted by 70 per cent as well as saving you £7 per bulb every year. 

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