LED Lights

November 15th, 2010

For some reason when we think about energy saving light bulbs we don’t think about LEDs. I do not know why, but we do not think about energy efficient LEDs. And we should – they exist! And they are exactly the same as alternative LEDs, the same brightness, the same prices, but crucially they are far cheaper to run and far better for the environment.

Most modern homes have more LED Lights than traditional light bulbs and we have to start converting them to energy efficient LED Lights. This is a matter that I come across in my work on a weekly basis. I am an interior designer, most of my work is in properties that are up for sale; I dress houses in my furniture, curtains, lights, rugs and ornaments. I only use energy saving light bulbs and in the past year it has been the same with LED Lights. I wouldn’t want to do it any other way.

I am not an activist, I wouldn’t even call myself an environmentalist, I am just a human, living on planet earth and as such I feel that it is my duty to protect it if I can. We all recycle now, not to would be almost unthinkable. And the same should go for energy efficient light bulbs. It is such a small thing and if we all did it, it would make a huge difference – there is no reason not to.

I think that we are at a point in history where we have to make the change now, because when we look back on this period 50 years from now it will be embarrassing not to have. It is like smoking in pubs – if some one lit a cigarette now in a pub, they would be at best frowned upon, at worst arrested, and that change has been in place for less than 5 years, we should be frowning upon lighting manufacturers that do not come with energy saving light bulbs and surely we are not far away from some sort of legislation that makes this compulsory.

In the meantime, we have to do our best in our own homes, we have to make the change and we, as consumers, have to demand the change from manufacturers.

Conclusion

There is no time like the present. I think we need a sense of urgency when it comes to changing to energy saving light bulbs, particularly with LED lights.

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A Bright Idea

November 8th, 2010

If you have been following the election recently (or indeed the news in the last two years), you will know that the two main issues in today’s society are the environment and the economy. We could also say that the two main issues in your world are YOUR economy and YOUR environment.

Most of us want to ‘do our bit’ we actively recycle, we buy organic, we use public transport or cycle, we are aware of our carbon footprint – and we WANT to help the world. After all, this is the legacy that we are leaving our children.

It is quite a daunting undertaking; ‘to save the world’. Although it wasn’t so long ago, that very few of us recycled and the collective consciousness was ‘what difference will it make if I do it?’ Now it is almost unthinkable not to recycle – it is practically antisocial not to!

We have found that in order to ‘save the world’ the little things that we do at home make a huge difference when practiced collectively by society. One of these ‘little things’ is changing your light bulbs to energy saving light bulbs. It might not seem like much but you will be reducing your Co2 emissions massively.

For property developers it is now compulsory to build houses that have fittings exclusively for energy saving bulbs. There is a shift happening in society towards the greater good, but most of our energy savings involve some sort of sacrifice on our part – to recycle costs us a little more time, to cycle to work instead of drive costs us a little more energy, the list goes on.

Energy efficient light bulbs are one of the few examples of and environmentally friendly alternative that requires no sacrifice; in fact, it benefits us as well as the environment because our electricity bill is dramatically reduced. That doesn’t mean you can leave your lights on!

If you want to ‘do your bit’ and save money, you simply have to change your light bulbs to energy efficient light bulbs. It is not rocket science. Remember it is the little steps that we all make that create the fundamental shift to a better society.

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Making the switch!

November 2nd, 2010

How many light bulbs do you use regularly in your house? Including lamps? I just counted and I reckon I use 10 bubs for about 4 hours a day (we like mood lighting) and those figures go up substantially in the winter. Most of my bulbs were 100w bulbs and I pay about 10p per Kw/per hr for my electricity. I worked out that if I swapped my light bulbs for the equivalent energy efficient light bulbs, I would save over £120 per year. That is not to be sniffed at.

The cost of changing those 10 bulbs will give me plenty of change from £20 so what am I waiting for? I honestly don’t know. People are strange. I am writing this article to make me change my light bulbs – if I say I will do it that will make me do it. I have been meaning to for ages, but then the weekend comes and it gets put off, time and time again. But no more. This weekend is the weekend for me and some energy saving bulbs. I have already ordered them from the internet, they are in the post, I have no excuses left.

I wonder how many of you reading this are in the same boat. Keep on meaning to do it, but never finding the time? In the last couple of years when a light bulb has blown I’ve replaced it with an energy saving light bulb, but perhaps I am OCD, I just don’t like having a mixture, I want a pure-bulbed-house, not a mixture; it’ll be light bulb Apartheid around here this weekend.

But it is basic common sense – I will save money and I will help the environment, there is absolutely no reason for me not to do it and the fact that I haven’t yet has frustrated me to the point of writing about my frustrations. When I have spoken to my friends about this they all say the same thing “oh yeah, must get round to that.” I think it’s about time we just did it. This lethargy isn’t doing anyone any good.

We all want to help the world, we all want to ‘do our bit’ and we all want to save a little money, I can’t understand why it has taken me so long to change my bulbs. If you are like me, just make a promise to yourself and get it done.

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5 Tips For Going Green

October 21st, 2010

1. Switch it off: Turn off lights, computers and heating when your office is empty. 2. Send more emails: Stop sending ‘snail mail’ and instead transfer all communication online.

3. Paper: If you can’t make your office entirely ‘paperless’ ensure you are using recycled paper and recycling waste.

4. Printing: Only print documents that are absolutely vital to have as paper copies.

5. Packaging: If you use packaging for your businesses’ products try to cut down on packaging and use recycled materials where possible.

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Bright Ideas Energy Saving Light Bulbs

October 18th, 2010

As environmental damage is increasingly on the social and political agenda, BLT Direct says that making a difference can be as easy as switching from one light bulb to another. Energy efficient bulbs may not be a new innovation but it’s surprising how many households have yet to make the change. Using an energy efficient bulb in the place of a standard light bulb reduces CO2 emissions and saves energy. In fact, if every household in the country used just one energy efficient bulb, the energy saved would be enough to light up Briton’s streetlights for a whole year.

If you’re still not sure about energy saving bulbs and how they can help reduce your electricity bill and do your bit for the environment, read on…

Why are energy saving light bulbs better then normal bulbs?

Energy saving light bulbs work much more efficiently than standard bulbs. A traditional bulb wastes energy by producing heat as well as light. An energy saving bulb however works more like a fluorescent tube. The electric current passes through the gas in the tube, lighting it up without producing excess heat.

Do I need to replace like for like If I Switch to Energy Saving?

No. Because energy saving bulbs work more productively they use around a quarter of the electricity. This means you can replace a normal 60W bulb with a 13-18W energy saving recommended equivalent.

Will An Energy Saving Bulb Really Save Me Money?

Yes! The savings from an energy saving bulb are twofold. Firstly, because they waste less energy and use less electricity, the savings on your electricity bill are substantial. Energy saving light bulbs last up to 12 times longer than ordinary light bulbs and can save you £9 per year in electricity (and 38 kilograms of CO2 ) or £100 over the bulbs lifetime.

Secondly, as energy saving bulbs are built to last, you need to replace them less frequently, saving money on the cost of new bulbs.

But Don’t Energy Saving Bulbs Cost More?

Energy saving light bulbs are more expensive than traditional light bulbs when initially purchased. However, in the long term the savings on the electricity bill and lower replacement costs make it a cheaper option.

Can I Use Energy Saving Bulbs With Existing Appliances?

Energy saving bulbs can be used with older appliances such as lamps. In addition, you can now also buy low energy light fittings which will only take low energy light bulbs. These use a ballast

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