The main questions people are asking is the LED technology
up to scratch? and is it worth spending the money to convert to LED light
bulbs?
The answer to these questions are yes. LED Technology has
improved dramatically over the last 2 years and the light output has got
better. The only problem associated when buying LED light bulbs is the
correlation between 'Lumens' and 'Watts '. When
dealing with incandescent light bulbs everyone generally knows what they are
buying in watt levels but now LED's are being sold by lumen levels.
In our store the sales people generally use the following
guide :-
4 watt LED = 20 watt mains voltage halogen
6 watt LED = 35 watt mains voltage halogen
7 watt LED = 50 watt mains voltage halogen
This gives an approximation of what to expect on LED lumen
levels. Whilst not exact it aids the buyer to determine what light bulb to buy.
The other main question we are asked is 'how much do these
bulbs cost and what am i expected to save in energy/money'.
If a consumer is using 20 x 50 watt down lights they will
consume on average £0.15 per 1000 watts/hr. At 8 hours per day this would equate
to £8.40 per week compared to using 7 watt LED's which would be £1.60 per week.
Over a year this would save the average consumer £353.60. The cost to purchase
would however have to be offset within the first year to pay for the bulbs (in
most cases the consumer would still save on average about £120.00 in the first
year).
The latest generation of LED bulb's have however have
surpassed the original versions in longevity and quality. Most LED's now come
with a minimum of a 2 year manufacturer warranty and are expected to last on
average 5 years or more. Buying cheap LED's is generally a false economy as
quality control is not as good as leading brands and more often than not fail
very quickly or do not last as long.
I would say buy a quality LED from a brand that is generally
recommended by your local wholesaler and has a minimum of at least 2 years
warranty, but always ask to see a sample lit up so that you can gauge what they would
look like in your home.




