Lighting the way

Lighting the way

A huge change occurred in the light bulb industry on the 1st September 2012. Incandescent light bulbs were banned from being sold and manufactured in Europe. The reason was that they were too inefficient, emitting far more of the energy they used in heat than they did in light.

The market has also changed since we last visited light bulbs in 2007. Consumers can now buy LED light bulbs more akin to the arbitrary shape Thomas Edison invented. All the companies in this report produce LED light bulbs and the selection keeps getting bigger. Companies are seeing the benefits too. Philips, for example, have just announced that in the first quarter of 2013 it has seen a 38 percent jump in LED sales from a year earlier, with LED sales now representing 23 percent of its total lighting sales.1

One issue with LED light bulbs has been the cost in comparison with buying compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs). Over the last five years the costs have reduced due to the fact there have an increase in the number of manufacturers. Our price comparison table below shows that, for a LED light bulb (comparable to a 40W incandescent bulb), the price ranges from £7-£20. A comparable CFL bulb would cost around £2-£4 these days. Matt Beswick from Lamp Shop Online talks about the savings that can made below.

While LEDs are hoped to lead the way in household energy efficiency, two other light bulbs are still available, both of which offer some energy savings compared to the old incandescent bulbs. Nearly all the companies in this report also make halogen and compact fluorescent light bulbs.

Use Multiples Light Sources