Table of Contents
Sales for LED bulbs have gone up ever since their advent in 1962 by inventor Nick Holonyak, Jr., who also went on to be known as the ‘Father of the Light-Emitting Diode’.
What started as a rather rare and unfamiliar choice developed into a mainstream lighting option for most domestic and commercial properties.
There are four types of lightbulbs: incandescent, compact fluorescent (CFL), halogen, and light-emitting diode (LED).
Due to their huge carbon footprint, halogen bulbs have been banned in the EU, with no importing and manufacturing being done.
According to Doug Parr, Greenpeace UK chief scientist, “Shifting away from wasteful halogens and creating a new market for cleaner, more efficient LED lightbulbs, saving money in the process, was a valuable role of the EU in driving up environmental standards.”
CFL bulbs were one of the first energy-efficient alternatives, with LED bulbs now clearly dominating the market in terms of effectiveness, efficiency, and durability.
Let’s look at why people are making the switch to LED bulbs, what they offer in terms of efficiency and ease, and how they can benefit everyone in the long term.
LED (Light-Emitting Diode) bulbs differ from ordinary lightbulbs in that the latter passes a current through a metal filament placed inside to emit light, whereas LED bulbs pass the electric current through a semiconductor – the diode, to emit light through the principle of electroluminescence.
They don’t use a metal filament, which is the major reason why they don’t get as hot as other bulbs. Also, they can be instantly turned on and off without affecting their lifespan and can produce light in a variety of colours.
If your old incandescent or CFL bulbs burn out, that’s a great opportunity to make the switch to durable, energy-efficient, and innovative LED bulbs.
And even if your old bulbs are still kicking, after reading this list of all the reasons why you should make the switch, we’re sure you’ll LED-up your place in no time.
As compared to an incandescent or halogen bulb, an LED light uses 90% less energy!
You can easily replace a 50-watt bulb with a 5-watt LED and that has a lot to do with how they work. In a traditional bulb, when an electric current passes through the filament, before producing light, it produces a massive amount of heat.
On the other hand, when a LED bulb gives off light, there is much less heat produced as a by-product resulting in great energy and cost savings.
LED bulbs last around 20 times longer than other bulbs due to a much better heat dissipation system and the absence of a filament which tends to break or burn out with use.
They have a long life expectancy of more than 50,000 hours and that too without showing any signs of prolonged use.
Based on an average usage of 8 hours per day, an LED bulb is expected to last for at least 17 years. Imagine how many regular bulbs you’d have you change in that time. But with LED bulbs, you can install them once and forget about it for a long time.
LED bulbs help the environment in two ways: by consuming less energy and being recyclable.
Due to them using less energy there is less demand and therefore, less requirement of power. Around 20% of a household’s electricity bill is made up of the cost of lighting. If everyone made the switch to LED bulbs, it would make a huge positive impact on the demand and production of energy, helping the environment by producing much less pollution.
The other way in which LEDs help conserve the environment is by using non-toxic materials, unlike CFLs, their other energy-saving counterparts. CFL bulbs contain mercury and need to be disposed of off properly as to not contaminate the waste site (check out this news clipping from ’08). LED bulbs can be easily recycled and are considered to be the most environment-friendly bulb.
With time and the increasing demand for LED bulbs, installing them is becoming easier with no need to change your existing fittings to switch to the more efficient lighting alternative.
Earlier, there were very limited LED options available, but now it is possible to easily replace every type of fitting on your residential, commercial, or industrial property with a LED equivalent without having to create a huge fuss about it.
In today’s fast-paced world, people don’t like waiting for stuff. It could be said that we’ve become impatient due to the advancement in technology.
For example, people just cannot bear with a slow internet connection and slow-loading websites can lose visitors and customers in just a matter of seconds.
Similarly, people also don’t like the idea of waiting for their light bulbs to switch on and reach full brightness – a feature of all old light bulbs such as halogen and incandescent bulbs.
Switching to LED bulbs makes more sense since they light up instantly without wasting a single second.
While traditional incandescent bulbs are available in a nice warm light, LED bulbs are available in a wide range of colour options ranging from cool whites to warm yellows making it easy to set the mood for different areas and places around your property.
The colour is determined by the temperature of the bulb on the Kelvin Scale and the light is emitted at a constant colour temperature. You can choose the colour according to your preference and suitability by reading the details on the pack.
When LED bulbs first came out, they were a bit pricey and not many people were particularly excited about replacing their existing lights with new LEDs.
The good news is that with time, the price has come down considerably and is constantly becoming even more affordable.
Other than their affordability, the energy savings that they provide as compared to incandescent or halogen bulbs are worth noting and can easily return your investment in less than a year.
Here are a few things to consider when choosing the right LED bulb for your property:
Instead of using watts while shopping for LED bulbs, you must look for lumens. Watts measure how much energy the bulb uses whereas lumens measure the brightness they give off.
We are accustomed to buying bulbs according to their watts and we know how much light to expect from a 100 or 150-watt bulb. However, when switching to LED bulbs, it can be tricky to convert incandescent watts to LED watts.
The packaging on LED bulbs clearly states the bulb’s brightness in both lumens and watts. You can use this handy comparison chart to get a better idea of the conversion and how energy-efficient LED bulbs are:
| Incandescent watts | LED watts | LED Lumens |
| 25 | 3-4 | 250 |
| 40 | 4-5 | 450 |
| 60 | 6-8 | 800 |
| 75 | 9-13 | 1100 |
| 100 | 16-20 | 1600 |
| 125 | 21-23 | 2000 |
| 150 | 25-28 | 2600 |
LED bulbs offer even more options than before for the colour/temperature of the bulbs and you can take your pick according to your taste and requirements.
There are warmer yellow bulbs, similar to the colour of incandescent bulbs, to a blueish or whiter white. The light’s colour is written on the packaging determined by its temperature on the Kelvin Scale. Lower numbers mean a warmer colour while higher numbers mean a cooler one.
2700-3000K is a warm, yellow light ideal for places where you need to set the mood such as bedrooms, living and dining rooms, restaurants, and for decorative purposes.
3500-4100K is white light that is perfect for places where proper illumination is required to perform tasks such as kitchens, bathrooms, and offices.
5000-6000K is the coldest temperature and the brightest blueish white light that is too bright for living spaces and is usually used by professional photographers for backlighting.
As discussed above, it’s very easy to use LED bulbs in existing fixtures, but there’s one thing you need to keep in mind: the shape of the bulb and fixture.
LED bulbs come in a variety of shapes. You’re likely to find different types of spiral bulbs, spotlights, globes, floodlights, and even some unfamiliar shapes like candle flames.
You must keep in mind the shape of the bulb and the fixture you intend to install it in. Are you looking for a wall light? Is it a ceiling fan light? Or is it to be installed on a table lamp?
Another factor that you need to account for is the dimming feature in LED bulbs and how well they respond to your existing dimmers.
Most LED bulbs offer dimming functionality but not all of them respond in the same manner as high energy consuming bulbs.
You may notice that there is a smaller amount of dimming range with LED bulbs as compared to incandescent lights, they may not turn off at the lowest dimming setting, and they may also sometimes flicker.
For the above-mentioned reasons, you must always check the compatibility of LED bulbs with your current dimmers, or you might have to change your dimmers to ones that work well with LED technology.
Smart technology is revolutionizing how people control their electronic devices.
Smart lighting is one such great invention that helps property owners control the lighting on their premises, save energy, and improve security with just a simple tap on their mobile or through a voice command. You don’t even need to get up to switch a light on or off.
What is the connection between smart lighting and LED bulbs? Smart light bulbs are LED bulbs that can be controlled remotely and virtually. They are often connected to a smart-device assistant such as Alexa that helps control and communicate within the network of smart devices.
Smart lights can also be CFL bulbs, but we recommend against their use since they are hazardous for the environment and cost more in terms of safety in the long term.
Smart lights work in two ways: through an internet connection (Wi-Fi), or by connecting with another Bluetooth-enabled device.
A smart LED bulb may cost more than a regular LED bulb, but it is well worth the investment due to the increased level of security it provides.
Many smart lights are integrated with motion detectors that turn the bulbs on as soon as someone enters the area. This useful feature can be used to monitor your property for unauthorized access and keep criminals away.
They can also be programmed to send alerts to you through your smartphone whenever any such suspicious activity is detected.
The ability to connect your smartphone or any smart device with the smart LED lights on your property not only helps you monitor but also remotely control the lights. You can switch the lights on or off from afar without anyone even knowing that you’re not there.
They also offer easy-to-use customizations where you can pre-set your smart LEDs to turn on, turn off, and dim at certain times.
As a residential or commercial property owner, you must constantly look at ways to reduce your energy consumption, save money on bills, and try to conserve the environment for future generations.
Switching from your ordinary light bulbs to LED bulbs is one of the easiest ways to do so and Calder Electrics is here to help.
LED bulbs already provide considerable savings due to their great energy-saving technology, and we can help lower the maintenance cost even further by offering fittings with 3-5+ year warranties.
We offer both LED installation and LED lighting upgrade services.
If you wish to reap the benefits offered by LED lights and upgrade your existing installations with the energy-efficient alternative, our experienced and certified electricians can help you with the process.
Our team of experts can survey and assess your property to create a lighting design to see how we can make the installations more efficient so that the lighting level is comfortable and best suited to your needs, normally aiming for a 40% saving.
We can further help reduce your energy consumption by incorporating motion detectors so that lights in places that are low usage are only switched on when someone enters the area.
When providing a quote, we can also provide a forecasted energy calculation so you can see what your energy bills and savings will look like.
We provide a high and efficient level of service when installing electrical lighting and install to the current wiring regulations BS7671 to ensure that all your installations meet the standards set by the law.
We also offer smart home system services where we can design, plan, and install a smart home system that can control the lighting, power, audio, and visuals around your property.
Here at Calder Electrical Services, we offer a professional, friendly, and reliable service, providing high-quality standards so that our customers are 100% satisfied.
We have been undertaking electrical work since 1976 and have plenty of experience in the field and are specialists in all aspects of electrical work.
We are based in Wakefield and cover the whole of Yorkshire and beyond offering a wide range of services to meet the demands of our clients, including all aspects of domestic, commercial, and industrial installations.
Our other services include:
We have experienced and fully qualified electrical engineers on hand to deliver a professional and high-quality service which is fully insured and certified.
Please get in touch with us if you would like us to help you with any of our services.
Photo by Martin Adams on Unsplash
Sales for LED bulbs have gone up ever since their advent in 1962 by inventor Nick Holonyak, Jr., who also went on to be known as the ‘Father of the Light-Emitting Diode’.
What started as a rather rare and unfamiliar choice developed into a mainstream lighting option for most domestic and commercial properties.
There are four types of lightbulbs: incandescent, compact fluorescent (CFL), halogen, and light-emitting diode (LED).
Due to their huge carbon footprint, halogen bulbs have been banned in the EU, with no importing and manufacturing being done.
According to Doug Parr, Greenpeace UK chief scientist, “Shifting away from wasteful halogens and creating a new market for cleaner, more efficient LED lightbulbs, saving money in the process, was a valuable role of the EU in driving up environmental standards.”
CFL bulbs were one of the first energy-efficient alternatives, with LED bulbs now clearly dominating the market in terms of effectiveness, efficiency, and durability.
Let’s look at why people are making the switch to LED bulbs, what they offer in terms of efficiency and ease, and how they can benefit everyone in the long term.
LED (Light-Emitting Diode) bulbs differ from ordinary lightbulbs in that the latter passes a current through a metal filament placed inside to emit light, whereas LED bulbs pass the electric current through a semiconductor – the diode, to emit light through the principle of electroluminescence.
They don’t use a metal filament, which is the major reason why they don’t get as hot as other bulbs. Also, they can be instantly turned on and off without affecting their lifespan and can produce light in a variety of colours.
If your old incandescent or CFL bulbs burn out, that’s a great opportunity to make the switch to durable, energy-efficient, and innovative LED bulbs.
And even if your old bulbs are still kicking, after reading this list of all the reasons why you should make the switch, we’re sure you’ll LED-up your place in no time.
As compared to an incandescent or halogen bulb, an LED light uses 90% less energy!
You can easily replace a 50-watt bulb with a 5-watt LED and that has a lot to do with how they work. In a traditional bulb, when an electric current passes through the filament, before producing light, it produces a massive amount of heat.
On the other hand, when a LED bulb gives off light, there is much less heat produced as a by-product resulting in great energy and cost savings.
LED bulbs last around 20 times longer than other bulbs due to a much better heat dissipation system and the absence of a filament which tends to break or burn out with use.
They have a long life expectancy of more than 50,000 hours and that too without showing any signs of prolonged use.
Based on an average usage of 8 hours per day, an LED bulb is expected to last for at least 17 years. Imagine how many regular bulbs you’d have you change in that time. But with LED bulbs, you can install them once and forget about it for a long time.
LED bulbs help the environment in two ways: by consuming less energy and being recyclable.
Due to them using less energy there is less demand and therefore, less requirement of power. Around 20% of a household’s electricity bill is made up of the cost of lighting. If everyone made the switch to LED bulbs, it would make a huge positive impact on the demand and production of energy, helping the environment by producing much less pollution.
The other way in which LEDs help conserve the environment is by using non-toxic materials, unlike CFLs, their other energy-saving counterparts. CFL bulbs contain mercury and need to be disposed of off properly as to not contaminate the waste site (check out this news clipping from ’08). LED bulbs can be easily recycled and are considered to be the most environment-friendly bulb.
With time and the increasing demand for LED bulbs, installing them is becoming easier with no need to change your existing fittings to switch to the more efficient lighting alternative.
Earlier, there were very limited LED options available, but now it is possible to easily replace every type of fitting on your residential, commercial, or industrial property with a LED equivalent without having to create a huge fuss about it.
In today’s fast-paced world, people don’t like waiting for stuff. It could be said that we’ve become impatient due to the advancement in technology.
For example, people just cannot bear with a slow internet connection and slow-loading websites can lose visitors and customers in just a matter of seconds.
Similarly, people also don’t like the idea of waiting for their light bulbs to switch on and reach full brightness – a feature of all old light bulbs such as halogen and incandescent bulbs.
Switching to LED bulbs makes more sense since they light up instantly without wasting a single second.
While traditional incandescent bulbs are available in a nice warm light, LED bulbs are available in a wide range of colour options ranging from cool whites to warm yellows making it easy to set the mood for different areas and places around your property.
The colour is determined by the temperature of the bulb on the Kelvin Scale and the light is emitted at a constant colour temperature. You can choose the colour according to your preference and suitability by reading the details on the pack.
When LED bulbs first came out, they were a bit pricey and not many people were particularly excited about replacing their existing lights with new LEDs.
The good news is that with time, the price has come down considerably and is constantly becoming even more affordable.
Other than their affordability, the energy savings that they provide as compared to incandescent or halogen bulbs are worth noting and can easily return your investment in less than a year.
Here are a few things to consider when choosing the right LED bulb for your property:
Instead of using watts while shopping for LED bulbs, you must look for lumens. Watts measure how much energy the bulb uses whereas lumens measure the brightness they give off.
We are accustomed to buying bulbs according to their watts and we know how much light to expect from a 100 or 150-watt bulb. However, when switching to LED bulbs, it can be tricky to convert incandescent watts to LED watts.
The packaging on LED bulbs clearly states the bulb’s brightness in both lumens and watts. You can use this handy comparison chart to get a better idea of the conversion and how energy-efficient LED bulbs are:
| Incandescent watts | LED watts | LED Lumens |
| 25 | 3-4 | 250 |
| 40 | 4-5 | 450 |
| 60 | 6-8 | 800 |
| 75 | 9-13 | 1100 |
| 100 | 16-20 | 1600 |
| 125 | 21-23 | 2000 |
| 150 | 25-28 | 2600 |
LED bulbs offer even more options than before for the colour/temperature of the bulbs and you can take your pick according to your taste and requirements.
There are warmer yellow bulbs, similar to the colour of incandescent bulbs, to a blueish or whiter white. The light’s colour is written on the packaging determined by its temperature on the Kelvin Scale. Lower numbers mean a warmer colour while higher numbers mean a cooler one.
2700-3000K is a warm, yellow light ideal for places where you need to set the mood such as bedrooms, living and dining rooms, restaurants, and for decorative purposes.
3500-4100K is white light that is perfect for places where proper illumination is required to perform tasks such as kitchens, bathrooms, and offices.
5000-6000K is the coldest temperature and the brightest blueish white light that is too bright for living spaces and is usually used by professional photographers for backlighting.
As discussed above, it’s very easy to use LED bulbs in existing fixtures, but there’s one thing you need to keep in mind: the shape of the bulb and fixture.
LED bulbs come in a variety of shapes. You’re likely to find different types of spiral bulbs, spotlights, globes, floodlights, and even some unfamiliar shapes like candle flames.
You must keep in mind the shape of the bulb and the fixture you intend to install it in. Are you looking for a wall light? Is it a ceiling fan light? Or is it to be installed on a table lamp?
Another factor that you need to account for is the dimming feature in LED bulbs and how well they respond to your existing dimmers.
Most LED bulbs offer dimming functionality but not all of them respond in the same manner as high energy consuming bulbs.
You may notice that there is a smaller amount of dimming range with LED bulbs as compared to incandescent lights, they may not turn off at the lowest dimming setting, and they may also sometimes flicker.
For the above-mentioned reasons, you must always check the compatibility of LED bulbs with your current dimmers, or you might have to change your dimmers to ones that work well with LED technology.
Smart technology is revolutionizing how people control their electronic devices.
Smart lighting is one such great invention that helps property owners control the lighting on their premises, save energy, and improve security with just a simple tap on their mobile or through a voice command. You don’t even need to get up to switch a light on or off.
What is the connection between smart lighting and LED bulbs? Smart light bulbs are LED bulbs that can be controlled remotely and virtually. They are often connected to a smart-device assistant such as Alexa that helps control and communicate within the network of smart devices.
Smart lights can also be CFL bulbs, but we recommend against their use since they are hazardous for the environment and cost more in terms of safety in the long term.
Smart lights work in two ways: through an internet connection (Wi-Fi), or by connecting with another Bluetooth-enabled device.
A smart LED bulb may cost more than a regular LED bulb, but it is well worth the investment due to the increased level of security it provides.
Many smart lights are integrated with motion detectors that turn the bulbs on as soon as someone enters the area. This useful feature can be used to monitor your property for unauthorized access and keep criminals away.
They can also be programmed to send alerts to you through your smartphone whenever any such suspicious activity is detected.
The ability to connect your smartphone or any smart device with the smart LED lights on your property not only helps you monitor but also remotely control the lights. You can switch the lights on or off from afar without anyone even knowing that you’re not there.
They also offer easy-to-use customizations where you can pre-set your smart LEDs to turn on, turn off, and dim at certain times.
As a residential or commercial property owner, you must constantly look at ways to reduce your energy consumption, save money on bills, and try to conserve the environment for future generations.
Switching from your ordinary light bulbs to LED bulbs is one of the easiest ways to do so and Calder Electrics is here to help.
LED bulbs already provide considerable savings due to their great energy-saving technology, and we can help lower the maintenance cost even further by offering fittings with 3-5+ year warranties.
We offer both LED installation and LED lighting upgrade services.
If you wish to reap the benefits offered by LED lights and upgrade your existing installations with the energy-efficient alternative, our experienced and certified electricians can help you with the process.
Our team of experts can survey and assess your property to create a lighting design to see how we can make the installations more efficient so that the lighting level is comfortable and best suited to your needs, normally aiming for a 40% saving.
We can further help reduce your energy consumption by incorporating motion detectors so that lights in places that are low usage are only switched on when someone enters the area.
When providing a quote, we can also provide a forecasted energy calculation so you can see what your energy bills and savings will look like.
We provide a high and efficient level of service when installing electrical lighting and install to the current wiring regulations BS7671 to ensure that all your installations meet the standards set by the law.
We also offer smart home system services where we can design, plan, and install a smart home system that can control the lighting, power, audio, and visuals around your property.
Here at Calder Electrical Services, we offer a professional, friendly, and reliable service, providing high-quality standards so that our customers are 100% satisfied.
We have been undertaking electrical work since 1976 and have plenty of experience in the field and are specialists in all aspects of electrical work.
We are based in Wakefield and cover the whole of Yorkshire and beyond offering a wide range of services to meet the demands of our clients, including all aspects of domestic, commercial, and industrial installations.
Our other services include:
We have experienced and fully qualified electrical engineers on hand to deliver a professional and high-quality service which is fully insured and certified.
Please get in touch with us if you would like us to help you with any of our services.
Photo by Martin Adams on Unsplash
