Lighting
One of the simplest things you can do to reduce your carbon footprint is to reduce the energy used to light your home. You may be surprised at how big an effect it can have! More
Lighting tips:
Take care not to spend any money saved in a way that inadvertently causes other emissions.
Overview
Lighting technology has advanced a long way since the tungsten filament light bulb was invented in 1910 yet you can still find essentially the same design of light bulb in many houses today. Now, however, compact fluorescent lamps (CFL), usually called low-energy light bulbs, are available that consume only a fifth of the energy of a filament bulb and last at least eight times longer yet emit the same amount of light. It is time for all of us to re-consider the lighting arrangements in our homes. Indeed, the government agreed with major shops that they would no longer stock incandescent bulbs of any wattage after 2011.
It is sometimes argued that because low-energy bulbs are cooler (because less energy is wasted as heat) you will need to heat your home more. In fact, although 90-95% of the electricity is no longer ‘wasted’ in heating your home, the amount is trivial; in warm weather you won’t miss this heat anyway. Click here to dispel some other myths about low-energy bulbs.
CO2 impact
UK households cause the emission of 9 million tonnes of carbon dioxide every year just from lighting. If a low-energy bulb uses only a fifth of the energy of the filament bulb it replaces then obviously the associated carbon dioxide emissions are cut by a factor of five. Changing light bulbs is something that almost anyone can do immediately and it is easy to do.
Money aspects
Switching to low-energy bulbs need not cost very much, the average price is about £3, and it saves money on your electricity bills straight away. When you’re shopping for energy saving light bulbs, look for the "Energy Saving Recommended" logo. It’s the quick and easy way to spot the most energy efficient products on the market. Some organisations give these bulbs away free: look out for advertisements in newspapers and magazines and stalls at fairs and markets.
1. Switch to low-energy light bulbs
Changing over to low-energy light bulbs is one of the easiest and most effective ways to reduce your greenhouse gas emissions. It is so effective that it’s worth doing straightaway, not waiting until your existing bulbs need replacing. In any event, major shops have not stocked incandescent bulbs of any wattage since 2011.
Traditional filament bulbs can easily be replaced with low-energy bulbs (sometimes called compact fluorescent lamps or CFLs) which are five times more efficient than filament bulbs. They are often the same size and have the same bayonet or screw fittings as the filament bulbs they replace. It is now possible to use a dimmer switch with some low-energy bulbs.
Halogen bulbs, such as those found in ceiling downlighters, are more efficient than traditional filament bulbs but are still not as energy efficient as normal low-energy bulbs. If you have ceiling downlighters (MR16), consider replacing standard halogen bulbs with the “energy saver” ones now available from Philips and Osram which use 30% less energy.
Even more efficient alternatives to halogen bulbs are now becoming available, such as mini compact fluorescent bulbs and light emitting diodes (LEDs). However, the technology is still being developed and they are not yet considered to be as good as normal halogen bulbs – they can be slow to light up, not as bright, and give a harsher light. There is some evidence to suggest that the bluer light of LEDs, when used in the evenings, can cause sleep disruption.
Click here for more information about low-energy bulbs and here to see a range of bulbs.
CO2 impact
As an example of the savings you can make from switching bulbs, if a 100-watt filament bulb is used on average for 2 hours a day in summer and 4 hours a day in winter it consumes 110 kWh of electricity in a year. Replacing this one bulb with a low-energy bulb will save 88 kWh of electricity and around 50 kg of carbon dioxide. When this figure is multiplied by the number of bulbs in the home, and allowing for a range of different wattages and hours of use, you can see how the annual savings could approach several hundred kg of carbon dioxide.
Money aspects
In the above example, replacing a single 100-watt bulb with an equivalent low-energy bulb will save around £10 per year on your electricity bills, quickly repaying the slightly higher cost of the bulb. The total saving in your home each year will depend on the number, wattage and usage of all the bulbs in your home.
2. Turn off lights which aren’t needed
The easiest way to save energy used for lighting is to ensure that lights are not left on in unoccupied rooms. Try to get into the habit of switching off lights every time you leave a room. If you can also adjust the lighting to suit what you’re doing, then more energy is saved. For example, it is not necessary to have strong lighting for watching television and if you are reading then a single smaller reading lamp may be enough.
CO2 impact
As an example, if you manage to save the use of one 100W bulb for an hour a day that will amount to a saving of almost 20 kg of carbon dioxide in a year (but around five times less for an equivalent low-energy bulb). This may not sound much but if every household in the UK did that it would save the emission of over 500 million kg of carbon dioxide a year, about 5% of the total emissions for domestic lighting!
Money aspects
You will save a little money from switching off one 100W bulb for an hour a day, about £4 per year (and around £0.80 for an equivalent low-energy bulb).
3. External lighting and sensors
Some people like to use spotlights and other lights to illuminate the outside of their homes at night. This may be to make the house appear more welcoming to visitors and returning occupants or to create a sense of security because the lights are expected to deter unwelcome intruders. In either case, most of the time this lighting is unnecessary and lower-energy solutions can be found.
It is simple to replace existing filament bulbs with same-size low-energy light bulbs in exterior fittings. Further, exterior spotlights are usually more powerful than interior lights, and so they use more energy, and if they are left on all night, even after the sun has risen but before the occupants are up, then the potential for reducing energy consumption is even greater. Two obvious solutions are to control the lights with a light sensitive switch kit, that switches on at dusk and off at dawn, and/or to use a passive infrared (PIR) sensor, that senses when a warm body moves within range, to switch security lights on for a pre-determined period after which they turn off again. Remember that if you carry out any electrical re-wiring it should be checked by a competent electrician.
CO2 impact
Halogen spotlights are energy intensive, but some other exterior lights, such as those used to mark a path, use light emitting diode (LED) technology. These run at low voltage and low wattage, and therefore use very little energy. Using a PIR sensor on security lights, possibly with a light sensitive switch as well, should ensure that they are off most of the time without jeopardising home security.
Money aspects
Exterior lights need special fittings and waterproof housings which add to the price. Halogen spotlights are a lot cheaper than LED lights. Timers can be bought for less than £10. PIR sensors start around £20. It is even possible to use solar-powered LED lights for marking paths (about £35 each) or as security lights (about £25 each).
If you would like to give feedback on this site, or have any suggestions for improvement, please contact us or post a comment here. We are particularly keen to hear about other organisations and initiatives in and around Winchester which can help people reduce their carbon footprint.
The information on this page is provided in good faith and reflects our understanding of the underlying science and technology at the time of writing, but we cannot guarantee that it is wholly accurate. All figures for costs, savings and other matters are estimates: the actual figures will depend on your particular circumstances and may differ (perhaps significantly) from those shown. Although we have included links to various organisations, we are not recommending these organisations: it is your responsibility to check that they are suitable for your needs. Nonetheless, if you experience difficulties with any of the links or organisations, or believe that any of the information presented here is inaccurate, please let us know and we will update this page if we consider it necessary.
Comments
What would you suggest me if
Halogen and LED lighting
Reply from Bob Whitmarsh:
LED (light emitting diode) lamps provide an energy efficient form of lighting whereas tungsten halogen bulbs require much more energy to generate the same amount of light and therefore waste electricity which is turned into heat. For example, a 10W LED can be used to replace a 30W halogen bulb. Even so some people prefer not to use LEDs because they are perceived as being less bright than halogen lights and giving a ‘cold’ light. However today it is possible to buy LEDs that produce a range of ‘colours’ from warm to cool. LEDs are a relatively new option for lighting in the home and further technological developments may be expected.
LED lighting can save up to 85 percent of the electricity used by incandescent bulbs, which include halogen bulbs as well as the old-fashioned type of bulb now being phased out, and up to 50 percent of electricity used by compact fluorescent lamps (or CFLs, the sort often composed of three U-shaped tubes). LED lights are also designed to last up to 50,000 hours, about 50 times longer than incandescent bulbs and 25 times longer than halogens. Unlike CFLs, LEDs don’t contain hazardous materials, such as mercury. LED lighting uses solid-state technology, which allows effective dimming in many applications and eliminates flickering. LEDs are more expensive than compact fluorescent or halogen lamps but their purchase can been seen as a long-term, money-saving investment. Using an LED alternative can save you close to two thirds of the costs of an equivalent tungsten halogen bulb.
Information from www.creeledrevolution.com and www.johncullenlighting.co.uk.