Lighting makes up about one sixth of our household electricity bills. Don’t light rooms that aren’t in use and make sure that you install low energy bulbs where possible.

Their initial cost is high but they use a quarter of the power of conventional light bulbs. You can now find all shapes and sizes of energy efficient light bulbs on sale in a variety of shops and online, so you don’t have to compromise on the kind of light you want.

Replacing a traditional 100W light bulb in your home with a low-energy 100W equivalent, will save enough electricity to boil water for 1,200 cups of tea. This will knock around £6 off your annual electricity bill.  Doesn't sound much, but how many lights do you have in your house ?

Some common misconceptions about low-energy bulbs:

"Energy saving lights are too big and bulky to really be an option."

Energy saving bulbs have improved considerably over the years and you can now get ones that look just like their non efficient counterparts. In addition to 'look-alike' products they also come in stick, candles and even halogen options. Search our Energy Saving Recommended database for a full list of the products available.

"Energy saving lightbulbs are much more expensive."

The prices of energy saving light bulbs have come down in recent times - it is now possible to buy a bulb for as little as £2 and many of the major supermarkets and retailers sell them cheaply. In addition, because they use less energy they will lower electicity bills, in fact a saving of up to £9 per year per bulb is possible.

"Energy saving light bulbs take a long time to turn on."

There have also been improvements in technology allowing 'instant start up' (as opposed to the traditional warm up period associated with low-energy bulbs), and warmer tones from the light itself which avoid the harsh white light traditionally associated with these bulbs.

"The wattages of energy saving bulbs are lower, does that mean the light is not as bright and which one will I need?"

Energy saving light bulbs use up to four times less electricity to generate the same amount of light. So where you'd normally use a 60W bulb, you'll only need a 13-18W energy saving recommended equivalent.

 Still not convinced ? This video from the Energy Saving Trust might help (courtesy of www.youtube.com).  Click on the arrow to play the video.