With the rising costs of energy, and inflation, many households are looking for more energy efficient outdoor lighting to make savings on their bills. In this blog we’re going to go through everything you need to know about energy efficient outdoor lighting so you can make an informed decision for your outdoor lighting set up. Carry on reading if you would like to save energy and save money.
Why is energy efficient outdoor lighting important?
When it comes to your electric bill it’s said around 20% of the total costs comes from our lighting with many of your other home appliances costing less to run on average.
Depending which bulbs you’re using, the number of lights you have and how often they’re in use, energy consumption can be high. Nevertheless, you can limit the amount of electricity you’re using every day by subtly adjusting these factors. With an LED you’re looking at a bulb that’s using 70%-80% less electricity than the equivalent traditional bulb.
What are the best bulbs for energy efficient lighting?
When it comes to energy efficient lighting, the best bulb to choose is an LED lamp. When compared to a traditional bulb, if you use that and an LED for the same time period, and with the same wattage, the LED consumes less energy but produces an equal amount of light. Over the long run, not only do LEDs last longer than their traditional counterparts, but they are also cheaper. Additionally, energy efficient outdoor lighting is also positive for the environment, by lowering C02 emissions without sacrificing the quality of light.
At Lighting for Gardens, we sell both LED bulbs on their own and provide lighting options which have built-in LEDs such as the Elipta Spike5 garden spotlights and the Elipta Titan 45 LED spotlight.
More tips on how to save energy
- Think about how many lights you need. Do you need all your garden lights on at the same time?
- Don’t forget to turn off your lights if you’re not using them. If you switch a light off for mere seconds, it will save more energy than it takes to switch it on again.
- Where possible, use sensors or a timer for your outdoor lighting so they’re only on when they need to be. For PIR sensor outdoor wall lights, see our collection. A timer is a great solution as it makes sure the lights go out at a certain time of the evening and comes back on at a certain time the next day with no energy wasted in-between. We recommend the Smart Timer as a great product for those looking to have their lights running like clockwork.
Energy efficiency ratings for LEDs have changed
Energy efficiency labelling has also recently changed, and some LED lamps are now rated E. However, don’t be worried, they are still energy efficient. The new and more stringent minimum efficacy thresholds for light sources are to help take the lighting industry forward to promote innovation and improve energy efficiency beyond current technology.
