Why fit energy-efficient light bulbs?
Fitting LED energy-efficient light bulbs can save you a significant amount of money on your electricity bill.
The exact savings will depend on a number of factors, including how many light bulbs you need to replace, how often you use your lights, and the cost of electricity in your area.
However, on average, it’s been reported that switching from traditional incandescent bulbs to LED bulbs can save you up to £35 per bulb over the bulb’s lifetime.
So, if you were to replace just five incandescent bulbs with LED bulbs, you could save up to £175 over the lifetime of those bulbs.
If you have a higher consumption of light bulb usage and you replace more, the savings can be even greater.
For example, replacing 15 incandescent bulbs with LED bulbs, you could save over £500.
It’s important to note that the savings are long-term, the initial cost of buying the LED bulb is higher than incandescent one, but the amount you’ll save in electricity will more than make up for the difference over time.
A guide to replacing light bulbs
- Turn off the power
First, make sure the power is turned off. The safest way to do this is to switch the large red power button to ‘off’ on the fuse box. - Let it cool
Allow the bulb to cool before touching it. - Use a ladder
Ensure you can safely reach the bulb by using a stepladder (be careful!). - Remove bulb
Take the bulb out of the socket. The way you do this will depend on whether your bulb has a bayonet mount or a screw fitting:
Bayonet Mount (two prongs, standard in the UK):
Grasp the bulb lightly but firmly, push upwards gently and turn anti-clockwise until it is released from the socket.Screw Fitting (most common in Europe):
Keep gently twisting anti-clockwise until the bulb comes loose from the socket. - Replace the bulb
Insert a replacement LED bulb lightly but firmly into the socket. Depending on the type, turn it clockwise until it locks into place or keep gently twisting clockwise until it won’t go any further. - Restore power
Once the bulb is in, turn the power back on again and switch on the light. - Dispose of the old bulb
The old bulb needs to be disposed of safely as the glass is fragile and very sharp. Use the packaging from the new bulb to wrap the old one for safe disposal.
