Have you been thinking about switching to LED lighting but still aren’t 100% convinced that it’s the right choice for your home? Although they have been on the market for many years, we still don’t know a whole lot about them.
If your home is still fitted with incandescent and compact fluorescent lighting (CFLs), it’s time to familiarise yourself with the benefits of making the switch. In the list below, we’ve covered the top 5 reasons that LEDs outshine its alternatives:
1. The globes are more energy efficient
One of the best reasons to switch to LEDs is that they’re far more energy efficient than the alternatives. With the increasing costs of electricity, the cost factor is becoming more and more relevant for homeowners. By switching out the globes you currently use, you could use as much as 70 to 90% less energy in lighting your home. This will result in some significant cost savings that can be put to use elsewhere.
2. The globes have a longer lifespan
When you compare the lifespan of incandescent, CFL and LED globes, it becomes crystal clear why the latter is becoming so popular. The average lifespan of an incandescent globe is around 1200 hours and approximately 8000 hours for a CFL globe. LED lighting, on the other hand, has an average lifespan of up to 50,000 hours or more. This will also save you money, as you won’t have to replace the globes as often.
3. It helps you to save money on your electricity bills
Did you know that LEDs use less power (watts) per unit of light (lumen) generated? Therefore, they not only have a much longer lifespan, they can also lower your electricity bills by providing 100 or even up to 200 lumen per watt. In comparison to this, CFLs use about twice the amount of watts and incandescent globes use around 10 times as much. This can help you to significantly reduce your electricity bills.
4. It is non-toxic and more eco-friendly
LED lighting is also the greenest solution available on today’s market. It doesn’t contain mercury, which is harmful to the environment as well as your own personal health. The globes are free of toxic materials and are 100% recyclable. On top of this, they will help you to reduce your carbon footprint by up to a third – the release less CO2, sulphur oxide and nuclear waste (producing only about 200kg annually).
5. It is flexible in colour and design
LEDs can be combined in various shapes and designs in order to produce highly efficient solutions. Individual globes can be dimmed, whereas the light, colour and distribution can be dynamically controlled and adjusted (via timers, remote control and so on). A well-designed lighting system can be used to achieve some amazing effects that influence not only the eye but also our moods and minds.
We have only touched on some of the main benefits of making the switch to LED lighting. The globes are also more durable (less susceptible to breakage), do not burn out (instead, the amount of light produced decreases), do not cause heat build-ups, and are instantly bright (they don’t take time to ‘warm up’). It is for all these reasons and more that you should consider making the switch to LEDs. For more information, please contact the Smillie team.
