Summary


	Choosing the right Low Energy Lamp . . .

	Choosing a light bulb used to be easy— there was only one kind available. Now you have the choice of incandescent, fluorescent, compact fluorescent (CFL) LED or halogen – it’s getting a bit like ordering eggs in the USA - more difficult than it looks so we’ve developed this site to try and help you make the most appropriate choice for your home. Most people now are looking to switch to low energy lighting but before you do you need to be aware of the options available to you as if you make the wrong choice you could end up being disappointed. Remember that the initial purchase cost is only part of the equation - sometimes the lowest cost option is NOT the right solution.


	LED


		What’s Good : extremely long life, extremely low power consumption, small, come on immediately, very little heat generated. What’s Bad : higher initial cost, not dimmable, not yet as bright as halogen.

	Click here for more information about LED lamps


	CFL


	What’s good : long life, low running costs, relatively cheap, good light output. What’s bad : larger, some disposal issues, not dimmable

		Click here for more information about Compact Florescent Lamps


	Halogen


	What’s good : bright, modern, small, dimmable. low cost What’s bad : relatively short life, hot, not energy efficient


	LED lightbulbs have probably seen the most development over the last year or so - prior to that they were quite honestly of limited use to most people, but now they are offering levels of performance which mean they can be viewed as a realistic alternative to halogen lamps - the drawback is the initial price BUT when you look at the whole life costs then they make great sense.


	There are 2 further crucial issues to consider colour temperature and beam angle.


	Colour Temperature

The colour of the light. This generally ranges from 2700k which is a warm white and generally suitable for domestic lights, though to 6500k which is a blue/white light and is more suitable for shops and offices.

There photos are taken using 3*3w Warm White (3200k) LED lamps on the left and 3*3w Cool White (5000k) on the right.


	Beam Angle

Modern lamps have reflectors behind the light source and so the light can be concentrated in a particular direction. By changing the shape of the reflector, manufacturers can vary the angle where most of the light is concentrated A narrow beam is approx 20deg, Medium is 38deg and wide is 60degrees.

If you wish to highlight an item then a narrower beam can be better, whilst for general lighting a wider beam is preferable.


	To view all the options we have available select your fitting type . . .




		GU10




	Large Bayonet




	Large Screw




	Small Bayonet




	Small Screw

Choosing the right Low Energy Lamp . . .

LED

CFL

Halogen

Colour Temperature

Beam Angle