Rising power bills are a common complaint for Australian homeowners. Lighting makes up roughly 10 to 15 percent of a typical household electricity bill, and we have seen it reach much higher in homes full of old halogen fittings. If that sounds like your place, the fix is simpler than you might think.
Less power for the same light
Replacing old halogen globes with LED lighting is the easiest way to cut the lighting share of your bill. The running cost of a light comes down to its wattage. Halogen fittings commonly draw 35 to 50 watts each, and some draw far more. The LED downlights we typically install draw around 9 to 18 watts and produce the same amount of light. That means a halogen fitting can use several times as much electricity as its LED equivalent, hour after hour, year after year.
They last far longer
Halogen globes typically last 1,000 to 2,000 hours. Good LED fittings are rated for 30,000 to 50,000 hours. Even at the low end, that is many years of normal use before a replacement is needed. Fewer trips up the ladder and fewer globes in the bin.
They run cooler and safer
Halogen globes make light by making heat, and hot fittings sitting near ceiling insulation are a known fire risk. This is a real issue in older homes with halogen downlights. LED fittings barely warm up, because the light comes from a semiconductor rather than a glowing filament. Swapping halogen downlights for LEDs removes a genuine hazard from your ceiling.
Making the switch
Some fittings are a straight globe swap. Others, especially downlights, are best replaced as complete fittings, which is quick work for an electrician and gives you a tidier, safer result. We can swap a few fittings while we are at your place for other work, or convert a whole house in a day.
Quay Electrical does lighting and LED upgrades across Torquay, the Surf Coast, Geelong and the Bellarine Peninsula. Every job is finished with a Certificate of Electrical Safety. If you would like to find out what switching to LED would look like at your place, contact us here.