Technology and electronic devices are a necessity in this day and age. However, with rising costs of living and inflation, it's important to consider energy consumption and invest into electricity saving devices for homes. Lights are one of the primary areas where you'd need to consider switching to power saving devices. Lighting is an important part of any building; therefore, it is important to invest in fixtures that provide high-quality illumination and help you save on energy costs. Many common light fixtures are not inefficient. These bulbs burn out easily, provide poor illumination, and consume a lot of energy. 

With rising energy prices, it is crucial that you look for energy saving light bulbs. The best way to overcome this problem is by implementing energy-efficient LED lighting. These luminaries not only provide excellent illumination but also cut down your energy costs. 

If you want to swap out your traditional lighting with LEDs, here is everything you need to know about the best energy saving light bulbs. 

What Are Energy Saving Light Bulbs?

Before we look at the best energy saving light bulbs, it is important to understand what these luminaries are and how they work. Energy saving light bulbs reduce the energy usage of the light model without affecting the final lumen output or brightness. 

An energy efficient light fixture consumes less energy to perform the same function as a standard light. Energy saving light bulbs were invented as an environmentally-friendly alternative to traditional light bulbs. 

Energy saving light bulbs use 90% less electricity to produce a similar level of lighting as a traditional light bulb. These qualities are at the core of energy efficient lighting. It is important to understand that energy consumption does not correlate to the quality of brightness. 

Energy saving light bulbs can help you save energy while providing high-quality illumination. There are several ways to implement energy efficient luminaries. You can simply conduct a re-lamping. This includes replacing old traditional lamps, such as incandescent bulbs, with energy efficient LEDs or fluorescent light bulbs. 

You can also introduce better and more efficient lighting controls. These controls give you precise control of your light energy consumption. Some external lighting components automatically turn off your lights when not in use, especially during the day. 

Energy saving light bulbs also have better structural integrity than other lighting. These luminaries have better circuitry than conventional lights as it stops electricity wastage. 

A common component in some energy efficiency lights is a dimmer switch. This switch provides even more efficient use of your energy. Apart from replacing your light bulbs, you can also follow alternative methods of using your light efficiently. 

Many homeowners introduce energy efficient lighting in their households to reduce energy bills; however, you can also implement such lighting in a larger application. 

Energy efficient lighting in commercial buildings and public luminaries will greatly impact energy savings and carbon emissions. Many government legislatures are using energy efficient lighting on a larger scale to cut back on energy consumption and reduce environmental harm. 

Why Are Energy Saving Light Bulbs Important?

Since some energy saving light bulbs have high upfront costs, many people might be apprehensive about making the switch. however, these lightings are extremely beneficial for anyone who uses them. 

Lighting is a basic requirement of any building, whether it's residential or commercial. Lighting is a major part of our daily life and impacts our day-to-day activities. Since lighting is so important, it also consumes a significant portion of energy. 

Such high levels of energy consumption are not sustainable, and you will experience higher energy costs in the future. To combat such issues, energy efficient lighting is crucial. Industries' energy consumption accounts for 26% of Europe’s total energy usage. 

A major part of this energy goes toward lighting. In a household, lighting accounts for 15% of the total electricity consumption. Due to these factors, lighting is an important area where energy must be conserved. 

Energy efficient lights play a key role in energy saving areas. Traditional incandescent lightbulbs are responsible for high energy consumption due to lighting. These traditional light bulbs not only waste energy but also produce a lot of heat which damages the light bulb and requires frequent replacements. 

Once you install energy efficient lighting, you might not see a lot of savings immediately; however, you will experience a major reduction in your energy bills after some time. 

Phasing Out Of Inefficient Lighting

It is highly important for people to switch to energy saving light bulbs are traditional lighting is quickly being phased out. Apart from incandescent light bulbs, consumers can also expect a slow phasing out of halogen bulbs. 

These bulbs are commonly used in industrial and office buildings due to their higher light output. However, despite their light intensity, these bulbs are not cost-effective and provide harmful emissions that deteriorate the environment. 

The UK government plans to phase out these luminaries along with fluorescent tube lighting in exchange for more energy efficient solutions.  Besides incandescent lights, CFLs are also a popular low energy bulb option however, these are still not as energy efficient as LED light bulbs. 

Due to LED technology constantly evolving, you can expect a slow phasing out of CFL bulbs in the future as well. Since there is a major shift towards energy saving light bulbs, it is important that you start implementing these luminaries as well. 

Many countries, including the UK government, are more likely to implement LED lighting on a larger scale as they are more environmentally friendly. These luminaries are expected to cut down 1.26 million tonnes of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Due to these reasons, consumers should expect to see even more innovative energy saving light bulbs more readily available in the market. 

To help consumers understand the benefits of swapping their traditional lighting with energy saving models, there will be updated labels on lighting bulbs. 

These luminaries will display a much simpler energy saving scale running from A to G to make it easier for consumers to purchase their ideal light bulbs. This system will replace the old scale to make it easier to identify the best energy saving light bulbs. 

What Are The Different Types Of Light Bulbs?

Even though traditional lighting consumes a lot of energy, it is important to look back at the history of lighting fixtures to understand that modern technology has come in terms of luminaries. 

Looking at the history will also give an indication as to how the light industry will keep developing in the coming years. 

Incandescent Light Bulbs

Traditional or incandescent light bulbs were invented over 100 years ago. Incandescent light fixtures have a piece of hard metal wire with an extremely high melting point. 

The wire is generally made from tungsten, and a glass cover surrounds it. These types of light bulbs are extremely high energy consumers and are highly inefficient. 

One of the biggest problems with these bulbs was their structural components. An incandescent light bulb contains a hard wire with an extremely high melting point. This wire is made from tungsten, and it is surrounded by a glass cover. The wire glows and produces light when electricity passes through the light bulb. 

This light is what we see when the bulb is turned on. These components make up the structural form of an incandescent light bulb. These light bulbs were effective in the earlier time period as many people did not have sufficient light sources.

However, due to innovative technology and a rise in energy consciousness, these light bulbs have largely become inefficient. A small portion of the energy used by an incandescent light bulb is converted into visible lights. 

Most of the energy taken by these light bulbs goes towards heat energy. In comparison, energy saving light bulbs' wattage conversion is much higher. This figure shows that roughly 90% of your electricity goes to waste with traditional light bulbs; therefore, you spend a lot of money on wasted energy. 

Furthermore, traditional light bulbs have a far shorter lifespan than light bulbs energy saving. The filament in a traditional light bulb burns out quickly due to the heat produced. 

To solve such inefficiency issues, manufacturers devised several other ways to make light bulbs more efficient. The next step to light efficiency was halogen light bulbs. 

Halogen Light Bulbs

Halogen light bulbs use a similar filament technology as incandescent light bulbs, but these light bulbs run at a higher temperature which makes halogen light bulbs slightly more efficient than incandescent light bulbs. 

Halogen bulbs contain a small amount of halogen gas which mixes with the tungsten vapor from the wire. The mixture is deposited back onto the filament instead of inside the bulb. This process allows a halogen bulb to shine brighter and extends the bulb's lifespan slightly longer than an incandescent light bulb. 

Halogen light bulbs are mainly used in spotlight sockets and fittings. However, manufacturers are forgoing these light bulbs for even more efficient light bulbs. Along with traditional or incandescent light bulbs, lower level halogen light bulbs are being taken off the market for more energy efficient alternatives. 

After the halogen light bulb, modern replacements were designed that produced the same level of illumination but used less electricity. In 2009, the European Union started phasing out such light bulbs. The production and importing of halogen light bulbs were banned in the UK in 2021.

Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs  

Compact fluorescent lamps, or CLFs, were the first light bulbs that were specially marketed as energy efficient light bulbs. CFL bulbs have a much longer lifespan than traditional light bulbs, as they can last over 8000 hours. 

Compact fluorescent lamps use approximately 70 to 80% less electricity than incandescent light bulbs. CFL light bulbs have a gas called argon inside a glass tube. This gas also contains small amounts of mercury vapor. 

This process creates ultraviolet light, which is invisible to the naked eye, but once this light passes through a fluorescent coating in the tube, it emits visible light. CFL light bulbs marked a big step toward energy saving light bulbs.

LED Light Bulbs 

After CLFs, an even more efficient light bulb was designed by manufacturers. The next best energy saving light bulbs were light emitting diode or LED light bulbs. Light emitting diode or LED light bulbs are robust light bulbs that are extremely energy-efficient. 

When these LED bulbs were first developed, they were produced with a single-bulb structure. Initial LED light bulbs were used in electronics, instrument panels, pen lights, and more. The manufacturer has expanded the application of energy saving LEDs by designing them in small cluster bulbs. 

More recent applications of energy saving LED light bulbs include indoor string lighting and Christmas lights. The first clustered LED bulbs were used in battery-powered products such as headlamps and flashlights. 

In recent years, LED bulbs have been manufactured in larger clusters. These structures sometimes have 180 bulbs per cluster, and they are encased in a diffuser lens. Due to the popularity of energy saving LED light bulbs, they are becoming one of the best energy saving light bulbs in the UK.

For domestic and household application, LED light bulbs comes with a standard base fixture. The diffuser lens is a crucial component as it helps the light spread in a wider beam.

One major feature of LED light bulbs is that the light emission is directional as opposed to traditional incandescent bulbs, which spread light in a spherical direction. This type of lighting direction favours recessed lighting or under cabinet lighting fixtures; however, directional lighting may not work well in table lamps. 

Modern LED light bulbs are designed to address directional light limitations. These newer LED bulbs use a diffuser lens and a reflector to disperse the light in multiple directions, just like an incandescent light bulb.

Despite the high energy savings of LED light bulbs, some of these bulbs have a high upfront cost for many consumers. LED light bulbs also have a high production cost which is a major roadblock to the widespread use of LED bulbs. 

However, modern research and technology rapidly evolve from designing much more efficient and cost-friendly LED light bulbs. 

What Are The Benefits Of Energy Saving LED Light Bulbs? 

If you are more familiar with traditional lighting methods, you might not want to switch to energy saving LED lights. However, these luminaries can elevate your lighting design and help you save energy in the long run. 

Here are all the great benefits that come with LED light bulbs. 

Better Efficiency

One of the biggest benefits of LED lights is their high energy efficiency. These lights perform far better than traditional light sources, making them an ideal choice for any kind of installation. 

Every unit of energy consumed by an LED goes towards producing illumination. Therefore you don’t have to worry about your energy costs going to waste. 

In comparison, most traditional luminaries waste power through heat energy. This process is not only wasteful, but it also decreases the lifespan of your light bulb. Due to this reason, LED light bulbs are a great choice for energy saving purposes. 

Longer Lifespan

Having to replace your light bulbs frequently is a major hassle. A shorter lifespan also means more maintenance and replacement costs. To avoid this issue, you must invest in energy saving light bulbs.

Energy saving bulbs such as LEDs have a significantly longer lifespan than any other luminaire available. LED light bulbs last up to 10 times longer than compact fluorescent light bulbs. LED bulbs last 40 times longer than traditional incandescent bulbs.

Bulbs with a longer lifespan do not need to be replaced often, which means you save more money on light bulb expenditures in the long run. 

No Heat Energy

As mentioned before, heat energy from unused power can significantly damage your light bulb. Standard incandescent light bulbs get hot and allow heat to build up in a room. Energy saving LED light bulbs do not cause any heat to build up. LEDs produce 3.4 BTU per hour. 

In comparison, incandescent light bulbs produce 85 BTU per hour. LEDs keep your room cool even after staying on for a long time. This lack of heat will enable you to save money on air conditioning in a home. 

Better Durability

One reason why LED light bulbs maintain a longer lifespan is their durability. LED light bulbs are highly durable compared to other traditional light bulbs. 

Since LED bulbs do not have a filament, they do not suffer damage under circumstances where a traditional incandescent bulb will break. LED bulbs have a solid structure that protects the light fixture from most hazards. 

No Harmful Chemicals

With rising awareness about climate change, many consumers are seeking out environmentally-friendly appliances. LED lights are a great option for this purpose as they do not contain any harmful chemicals. There is no mercury used in the production of energy saving LED light bulbs. 

Even though CFL bulbs are efficient, they use mercury. When a bulb with mercury breaks, it can escape as a vapor. This mercury vapor can be inhaled, which proves hazardous to human health. 

Mercury can also settle as a fine powder into carpets and other textiles. For even more eco-friendliness, some LED lights can be recycled at the end of their lifespan. 

Better Performance In Colder Areas

Many traditional light sources do not perform well in colder regions. This happens because the temperature drop affects the voltage level of the light bulbs requires more energy to be consumed. However, LED lights are designed to work much better in colder temperatures compared to traditional lighting. 

You can use these luminaires in cold storage spaces, freezers, or refrigerated display cases. You can also use LED lights in parking areas or other outdoor fixtures during cold weather. 

Design Versatility

If you want customisable lighting, choose LED light bulbs. The LED component itself is very small, which means you have better design versatility with these lights. The small size makes LED luminaries extremely adaptive to several lighting applications. You can use them in wider applications or smaller areas.

Better Colour Rendering Index

Colour rendering index measures a light’s ability to reveal the actual colours of objects. This index measures the colour difference between the light fixture and an ideal light source such as natural lighting. In most cases, it is important to go with luminaries with a high CRI. Generally, energy saving LEDs perform far better than traditional light sources when it comes to CRI. 

Cost-effective

When light bulbs use energy efficiently, you save money. Even though LED light bulbs had high upfront costs in the past, modern innovations have considerably reduced the cost of energy saving LED light bulbs. Due to technological advancements, consumers can anticipate even more reasonably priced LED light bulbs in the future. 

How To Choose The Best Energy Saving Light Bulbs?

Energy saving light bulbs come in a variety of different styles and models. Since there is such a wide variety of choices, it is difficult to know which LED energy saving light bulb works best for you. Here are some important things to consider when looking for energy saving light bulbs. 

The Functionality

Functionality is an important factor when you consider purchasing an energy saving light bulb. Some energy saving light bulbs provide full brightness as soon as they turn on, while some energy saving bulbs require a few seconds to warm up before they give off full brightness. 

If you want immediate brightness, you should consider LED light bulbs instead of other energy saving light bulbs. LED light bulbs also work well outdoors as they are not affected by cold temperatures. LED light bulbs are also compatible with motion sensors and dimmer features. 

Level Of Desired Brightness

One of the most important deciding factors when purchasing a light bulb is the level of brightness. Not every single LED light bulb has the same level of brightness. Read the package of your preferred LED lamp to check the brightness level. 

You can check both lumens and wattage to determine the brightness level. Since LED lighting is designed to be energy efficient, wattage is not an accurate measure of its strength. The best way to evaluate the performance of an LED bulb is by looking at the lumen output. 

For example, a 9 watt LED bulb is equivalent in brightness to a 45 watt incandescent bulb. However, it is important to note that wattage measures the energy taken up by the bulb, not the brightness output. 

Since the lumen measures the perceived illumination, the higher the lumens amount, the brighter the light bulb. Light bulbs with a similar wattage may have varying lumens values. 

Most light bulb manufacturing companies only give lumen information instead of wattage; therefore, you must check the lumen to assess the brightness of an LED light bulb accurately. 

Go For High-Quality Bulbs For Longer Lifespan

Avoid purchasing cheap light bulbs from discounted stores or low-quality manufacturers. These LED bulbs are cheaper because they have a low-quality design structure. Low-quality LED light bulbs have a lower-grade chip that fails very easily after prolonged use. 

Many cheaper LED light bulbs also don’t work well inside enclosed light structures. These light bulbs burn out easily within a year or sometimes less as they heat up. Even though the upfront cost of high-quality LED bulbs is high, you won’t have to spend money on maintenance and replacement as these bulbs last a long time.

At Meteor Electrical, you can find a wide range of LED light bulbs, especially the Kosnic range, which guarantees high-quality LED light fixtures. 

Choose Between Cool And Warm Light

Decide whether you want an LED bulb with cool lighting or an LED with warm lighting. LED light bulbs come in a variety of different light shades. To choose the colour temperature of the lighting, you must look at the Kelvin scale. 

This scale presents a wide variety of shades denoted with the letter K. Cool white light works best for task lighting purposes. In comparison, warm lighting is commonly used for accents and atmosphere. Warm lighting also works well in smaller areas.

Choose The Ideal Shape And Fitting

As mentioned before, LED light bulbs come in a wide variety of shapes and fittings. If you are replacing a traditional light bulb with an LED, make sure to check the fitting reference number to ensure you have the correct fixture. 

In addition, you must also think about the shape of the bulb you want. There are several different shapes to choose from, and each of these adds a different dimension to how the light illuminates a room. 

Each LED bulb shape provides a different angle and spread of light. Some LED luminaries give off a 360 degree illumination spread, while others are best suited for narrow spotlight configurations. 

Despite the different shapes, each of these bulbs provides energy efficient lighting. Therefore, the ideal shape of the bulb depends on your illumination preference. 

The Lifespan

As mentioned earlier, both CFLs and LED light bulbs last longer than incandescent bulbs, but there are some specific figures you must consider. 

Older or traditional light bulbs provide approximately 3,000 hours of illumination, while CFLs give about 10,000 hours of light on average. 

In comparison, LED light bulbs provide 50,000 hours of light, which makes them one of the best energy saving light bulbs UK.

LED light bulbs also have a strong structure which protects them from breakage and other damage. Therefore, in terms of a longer lifespan, you should consider energy saving LED light bulbs. 

Safety Features

To ensure the longevity of your lighting and yourself, you must look for energy saving light bulbs that offer safety features. Even though light bulbs are a small component of a lighting system, you must consider light bulbs with safety features. 

CFL light bulbs contain a small amount of mercury, just like incandescent bulbs. This mercury compound is safe as long as it stays inside the light enclosure; however, in the event of breakage, mercury is extremely harmful to both humans and animals when it is inhaled. 

Fortunately, LED light bulbs are free from mercury, and they are a much safer option for lighting up homes and commercial properties. 

How Much Power Do LED Bulbs Consume, And How Long Do They Last?

As mentioned before, LED lights are far more efficient than any other light product on the market. LED bulbs use 90% less energy than an incandescent or halogen light bulb of similar brightness. 

For example, a 4-watt LED light bulb can achieve a similar lumen output comparable to a 50-watt halogen light bulb. This is because LED bulbs are much more efficient at converting electricity into light energy. 

The structural component of LEDs makes a key difference in this conversion because, in other light models, most of the energy would get wasted as a heat emission. However, LED lights do not produce heat; therefore, they make much better use of the energy consumed. 

Another great benefit of using LED light bulbs is the longer lifespan. Since there is no thermal emission, the LED bulb does not suffer any damage and therefore does not need constant replacements. A well-built LED light bulb can last 25 times longer than any other light bulb.

What Are The Best Energy Saving Light Bulbs?

There are several great energy saving light bulbs to choose from; however, it can be difficult to know which ones perform the best. 

If you are looking for high-quality energy saving light bulbs, visit Meteor Electrical. The Kosnic range at Meteor Electrical has some of the best options for energy saving light bulbs. 

Kosnic lights use high-grade LED technology to give your brightness at a fraction of the energy consumption. Here is a list of some of the best products Kosnic has to offer. 

1. Kosnic 9W LED Energy Saving Light Bulb

This is Kosnic’s most popular energy saving LED light bulb. The 9W light bulb comes in a warm white shade which makes it ideal for domestic applications. These 9W lamps reduce your energy consumption by 85% compared to traditional light bulbs. 

Since this bulb uses an LED, you get brightness instantly. Despite the high energy savings, this light fixture only costs £2.87, making it one of the most economical energy saving light bulbs on the market. 

1. Kosnic 4.5W LED Energy Saving Light Bulb

The Kosnic  4.5W LED lamp has high-intensity brightness of 340 lumens. This excellent energy saving light bulb works best for both household use and hospitality applications. The Kosnic 4.5W lamp has a lifespan of over 30,000 hours which means you will save money on bulb replacement costs. 

1. Kosnic 4 Watt LED Bayonet Energy Saving Light Bulb

The Kosnic 4W filament candle light is highly efficient and functional as it provides 100 lumens per wattage. 

With this light, you get high-quality brightness and major savings without compromising brightness. This light has a more traditional aesthetic than other modern, efficient lighting. However, it has high-grade technology with a lifespan of over 20,000 hours. 

Final Takeaway

Energy saving lights are a great way to make a positive change in your lighting design. These lamps provide high-quality illumination without driving up your energy bills. LED energy saving lights are ideal for any kind of location, making them the best bulb on the market. Explore our wide range of options to find the best light bulbs for your needs. From energy-efficient LEDs to reliable incandescents, we have everything you need to brighten up your home. Upgrade your lighting experience today with Meteor Electrical's premium selection!