Useful information on all things LED!

LED bulbs could be your the choice if you have to replace a light bulb in your house. LED lights are the most efficient and durable of all lighting available at the moment, but also the most expensive, though prices have fallen considerably over the last years. They use up to 80 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs, while producing the same amount of light. Most LEDs should last at least 15,000 hours – that’s more than 13 years if used every day for three hours.

LED light output, measured in Kelvin, comes in a range of warmer to cooler light. The higher the Kelvins (K), the cooler the light. You choose them according to placement, i.e. a warmer light in the living room and a cooler one in a workspace.

Changing your lights to LEDs now is an easy and cost-effective way to reduce your power bill and energy consumption. Every kilowatt you save helps to reduce your power bill, meaning more money in the bank, and also reduces the carbon footprint.

Research by the Consumer Magazine found that if you compare a mid-range LED to a standard incandescent bulb, the LED:

• has the same brightness as a 60 watt incandescent but draws only 9.5 watts
• has an expected lifespan of 15,000 hours, whereas the incandescent costs 50 cents but lasts on average only 1,000 hours
• will use approximately $2.70 in electricity if used for 3 hours each day for a year, whereas the incandescent will use $17.08 worth of electricity
• will have paid for itself in a little over a year. It will then keep going for another 12 years, whereas the incandescent might need to be replaced every year.

Find out more what you should consider when switching to LED. Refer to article in NZ Consumer magazine.

Also helpful is the ECCA Energy Wise site looking at how our lighting can be more efficient and assist you in finding the right light for your home.