What You Need to Know
Many of our customers have questions about LED bulbs versus other types of lighting. If you are looking to make a lighting upgrade, it pays to understand the differences between LED bulbs and more conventional options.
At Tailored Electrical Contractors, we are happy to offer advice so you can be confident in your lighting choices. Upgrading to LED lighting can reduce electricity costs for homes and businesses. As you’d expect, many customers are primarily concerned with their electricity bills when planning upgrades and much of the time, cost is the deciding factor.
Key Takeaways
- LED bulbs draw significantly less energy than incandescent bulbs, lowering your energy bill.
- LEDs last between 25,000 and 50,000 hours, while incandescent and CFL bulbs last significantly less.
- LEDs utilise light-emitting diode technology to transform energy into visible light with the help of semiconductors.
- LEDs produce very little heat and are mercury free, unlike fluorescent bulbs.
- Some LED bulbs can connect with smart home systems to allow for customisable and smart lighting options.
- Higher initial cost compared with incandescent bulbs, but lower operating expenses.
Understanding Different Bulb Types
What Are Incandescent Bulbs?
Incandescent light bulbs work by heating a tungsten filament, which produces light and heat. Unfortunately, this also makes them energy inefficient since a lot of electricity is turned into heat. Incandescent bulbs have a life expectancy of about 1,000 to 2,000 hours. Because incandescent bulbs have poor energy efficiency, much of the electricity is turned into heat rather than light.
What Are CFL Bulbs?
Compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs work by running electricity through mercury vapour. This excites the fluorescent coating on the inside of the tube, which produces light. CFL bulbs are more energy efficient than incandescent bulbs. However, they still contain mercury, which is toxic and should be disposed of properly. This form of fluorescent lighting requires careful disposal and handling.
Fluorescent tubes and CFLs require careful disposal because they contain hazardous materials such as mercury.
What Are LED Bulbs?
LED stands for Light Emitting Diode, which is a solid-state device that emits visible light when current flows through it. LEDs work differently from incandescent lamps (which produce light by heating a filament) and fluorescent lamps (which produce light by exciting gas). Therefore, LEDs last much longer than traditional light bulbs, since they are more rugged and efficient. This gives LEDs a longer lifespan than traditional bulbs.
Compare LED Bulbs Against Older Bulb Types
Select two bulb types below to compare lifespan, energy use, heat output, mercury content and smart-control compatibility.
Choose Two Bulb Types to Compare
Side-by-Side Comparison
LED Wins
Compared with incandescent lighting, LED bulbs offer a much longer lifespan, lower energy use and far less heat output.
Upgrade Advice
If your property still uses incandescent or halogen lighting, switching to LEDs is usually one of the simplest ways to reduce energy use and improve long-term running costs.
Call 0121 272 7472How LED Technology Works
LED bulbs produce light by passing a current through a semiconductor. Electrons in the semiconductor recombine with electron holes, releasing energy in photons (light particles). Nearly all of the energy used by an LED becomes light and very little becomes heat, making LED lighting more efficient than incandescent light bulbs.
LEDs are capable of converting most of the electricity that they consume into visible light. For this reason, LED lighting is sometimes described as an energy efficient bulb. LEDs are becoming more popular in lighting retrofits and new construction. LED technology reduces energy use by converting a larger share of electrical energy into visible light.
LEDs can deliver the same lumen output as older bulbs while using less power.
Energy Efficiency and Cost Considerations
LED light bulbs consume far less energy than older incandescent bulbs. This helps to drive down your energy bills.
- You might pay more for LEDs initially, but they will usually save you money in the long run.
- Old school incandescent light bulbs have notoriously bad energy consumption. Most of their energy ends up being emitted as heat, not light.
- Compact fluorescent light bulbs are slightly better than incandescent bulbs. However, they still contain mercury and don’t last as long as LEDs.
- Their poor energy efficiency also drives higher electricity costs for properties still using incandescent bulbs. In contrast, LEDs help reduce energy costs over time.
- Switching from old bulbs to new bulbs often reduces electricity bills and energy consumption.
Lifespan Comparison of Bulb Types
- Traditional Incandescent Bulbs: 1,000 – 2,000 hours.
- CFL bulbs: 8,000 – 10,000 hours.
- LED light bulbs: Average 25,000 to 50,000 hours.
The reason bulb life is important is that longer life spans mean bulbs have to be replaced less frequently, meaning less money needs to be spent on replacement bulbs. This becomes especially important in places like commercial buildings and industrial facilities where maintenance staff may not have easy access.
LEDs offer a longer lifespan than other bulb types, which reduces maintenance in commercial and industrial settings.
How Much Could You Save by Switching to LED Lighting?
Use this quick calculator to compare your current bulbs against LED replacements and estimate your annual energy saving, running cost reduction and likely payback period.
Enter Your Current Lighting Setup
Light Quality and Output
LED lights offer bright and steady light with great colour rendering, which is important if you’re meeting workplace lighting guidelines such as BS EN 12464-1:2011. Because LEDs produce directional light (as opposed to the omnidirectional light from fluorescent and incandescent bulbs), they can be focused on specific areas.
This helps increase efficiency for task lighting as less light is wasted. LED lights are instantly bright – there is no warm-up period that you can get with fluorescent bulbs. LEDs are available in a wide variety of colour temperatures from warm white to bright daylight.
Colour Temperature and Light Quality
LED bulbs are often specified in colour temperature. Colour temperature is measured in Kelvins, represented by K. Bulbs with lower colour temperature (2700K – 3000K) emit a warm white light and are considered similar to the traditional incandescent light that can be found in most homes and hotels.
Bulbs with higher colour temperatures (4000K – 6500K) emit a cool or bright white light. They are used in offices, commercial buildings, and industrial applications where a brighter light is required.
Choose the Right LED Colour Temperature
Move the slider to explore different Kelvin ratings and see whether warm white, neutral white or daylight LED lighting is best suited to your space.
Adjust the Kelvin Rating
3000K
Warm WhiteWarm White
2700K to 3000K creates a softer, warmer feel. It is often suited to homes, hotels, restaurants, lounges, bedrooms and evening lighting.
Lighting Advice
Warm white lighting can make a space feel more comfortable and relaxed, especially in domestic and hospitality environments.
Call 0121 272 7472Safety and Environmental Benefits
LED lights give off almost no heat while they are operating. This helps prevent fires that can start from incandescent or fluorescent bulbs. They also have very little chance of breaking due to their strong, solid-state bodies.
LED bulbs do not contain any mercury, which is better for the environment when they need to be disposed of. Also, due to LED bulbs using less energy, they help lower carbon emissions.
Invisible Ultraviolet Light and LEDs
LED lights won’t cause fading or deterioration like some other bulbs, as they don’t produce invisible UV light. This is beneficial for stores that want to display merchandise without causing damage over time or for museums with sensitive objects.
Modern Features and Compatibility
LED bulbs can also now often be used with smart home or building management systems. This allows users to dim lights, tune colour and set schedules, enabling customisable lighting experiences as well as optimising energy usage.
Linking LED lighting with smart controls also creates opportunities for industrial and commercial customers to run more efficient operations and meet requirements set out in lighting compliance regulations.
Many LED light bulbs now offer smart-home compatibility for dimming and colour tuning. The lighting industry has widely adopted LED solutions for retrofits and new projects.
LED Stands and Fixtures
LED is an abbreviation of Light Emitting Diode. As LEDs are used in so many different forms of lighting products, it’s important to understand how to select the right LED lamp or lighting fixture. This ranges from the typical LED bulb used to replace your traditional light bulb to complex commercial and industrial lighting solutions. Ensuring you have the right LED stand or fixture will maximise light and energy efficiency.
Find the Right LED Lighting Upgrade for Your Property
Answer a few quick questions and get a tailored LED lighting recommendation based on your property type, current lighting, energy goals and compliance needs.
Your LED Upgrade Assessment
What Type of Property Is This For?
This helps us understand whether comfort, efficiency, workplace visibility or compliance is likely to matter most.
What Lighting Do You Currently Have?
Older fittings can often be expensive to run, harder to maintain and less suitable for modern controls.
What Is Your Main Reason for Upgrading?
Choose the priority that best matches what you want the lighting to achieve.
How Important Are Smart Controls?
Controls can help with comfort, energy efficiency, scheduling and reducing unnecessary usage.
Do You Have Areas That Feel Too Dim or Uneven?
Dark spots, glare and poor spread can affect comfort, productivity and safety.
Does Emergency or Workplace Lighting Apply?
This matters most for commercial, industrial, shared or regulated environments.
How Soon Are You Looking to Upgrade?
This helps shape whether you need quick advice, a survey or a more planned lighting design.
Commercial LED Retrofit
Based on your answers, your property would likely benefit from a planned LED retrofit focused on lower energy use, better visibility and long-term maintenance savings.
Recommended Next Steps
- Review your existing fittings, wattage, usage patterns and maintenance issues.
- Check whether colour temperature, glare control and light levels are suitable for the space.
- Arrange a lighting survey before replacing fittings at scale.
Comparing Heat Production of Bulbs
Incandescent bulbs emit most of their energy as heat, which causes them to become extremely hot. Fluorescent light bulbs run cooler than incandescent ones, but still generate more heat than LED light bulbs. LEDs emit negligible heat during operation, helping you avoid potential safety hazards and lowering cooling requirements in commercial buildings.
Incandescent bulbs get particularly hot in operation compared with LED light bulbs.
Considerations for Residential and Commercial Upgrades
Domestic home-owners can enjoy the cost savings from LED’s energy efficiency and lifespan. They also like having better light quality and features such as smart controls. Developers can benefit from clear upfront pricing and dependable installation by certified electricians.
Industrial, commercial facility managers and owners can take advantage of LED lighting’s adherence to UK regulations around workplace lighting. This includes the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 and BS 5266-1:2016 for emergency lighting. Durability and low maintenance make LED lighting a great fit, too.
Electrical Safety and Compliance
Installing LED lighting requires careful consideration of electrical safety standards. Tailored Electrical Contractors hold NICEIC and ECA accreditations, ensuring all installations meet rigorous UK regulations and best practices. Our teams use certified electricians and provide detailed reporting for peace of mind.
Planning Your LED Lighting Upgrade
Upgrading to LED lights starts with an understanding of your current light fittings, power consumption and end goals. Our complimentary site surveys and consultation allow us to determine what LED bulbs you need and a custom lighting solution for your premises. We manage installations to ensure minimum disruption and undertake maintenance, safety checks and inspections. This includes fixed wire testing and remedial works where applicable.
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to common questions about LED bulbs, energy efficiency, light quality, eye comfort, colour temperature, blue light and replacing older incandescent bulbs.
LED bulbs will typically be more energy efficient, longer lasting and safer than incandescent and CFL bulbs. They are also better for the environment and work better with newer controls.
Individuals with macular degeneration will benefit from bulbs that produce steady light without flicker. Bulbs with good colour rendering and warmer colour temperatures are also best. Some LED bulbs are made to minimise glare and blue light exposure, which may be a good option. Speak to your doctor for advice.
Although higher initial investment and blue light emission, which may cause eyestrain, are both concerns, proper LED product selection and good lighting design can eliminate these disadvantages.
The higher initial cost is often offset over time by lower running costs.
LEDs emit light in the blue spectrum. Melatonin suppression from blue light affects the circadian rhythm. Warm white LEDs should be utilised for evening lighting, and where possible, people should have controls to adjust lighting.
LEDs often emit more blue light than traditional incandescent bulbs, so choosing warmer colour temperatures in the evening can help.
LED bulbs can be directly substituted for incandescent bulbs in most lighting fixtures. When buying LEDs, make sure they have the right base type as well as the right colour temperature for your purposes.
For older fittings originally made for incandescent bulbs, check the fixture compatibility before switching.
LED bulbs use less energy than incandescent bulbs to produce the same, or more, amount of lumens. Light from LEDs is also directional, which means less light is wasted.
Next Steps: Contact Tailored Electrical Contractors
Lighting is an investment that can impact safety, code compliance, energy usage and costs, and your overall comfort. Our knowledgeable staff are available to help you with custom LED lighting retrofits and professional advice.
Contact us today for a free consultation or site audit. We believe in straightforward pricing and a top-notch service with as little intrusion into your home or business as possible.
