Energy saving lightbulbs

With the ever increasing cost of electricity there are now more good reasons than ever to switch your home light bulbs to energy saving versions

Energy saving light bulb have always been a good idea for both your pocket and the environment. As they have become more popular the reliability and range of bulbs have improved.  Energy Saving Light bulbs use up to 80 per cent less electricity than a standard bulb and generate the same amount of light.  The chart below shows the wattage (power consumption) of a standard bulb compared to a energy saving bulb

So where you'd normally use a 60W bulb, you'll only need a 13-18W energy saving recommended equivalent.

Another benefit of low energy light bulbs is that they generate less heat so can be suitable for more confined spots or in locations where lots of lights are needed.
 
There is now a wide range of energy saving light bulbs available.  They vary in costs and size.  You need to consider which lights you are replacing and the amount of space available for the bulb. 

Generally the cheapest low energy light bulbs tend to be more bulky which is fine if no one will see the light source.  Other smaller bulbs are suitable where space is limited. 

There are a now a number of low energy light bulbs that look very similar to standard bulbs which can be used as almost like for like replacements.  Historically, low energy light bulbs could not be used with a dimmer switch.  There are now bulbs, which can cope with this as well.

From a financial and environmental perspective it makes sense to upgrade some of or all of your light bulbs to low energy versions.  It’s estimated that if the average household replaced all the lights in their house with energy saving bulbs they could save approximately £45 per year or £600 over the lifetime of the bulbs.