There’s an old adage that goes, ‘look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves’. When it comes to the energy costs of running a business, nothing could be closer to the truth. While trying to reduce energy costs during lean periods, we tend to look at the big stuff. Do we need the air-con working for so many hours? Can’t we lower the heating a few degrees? Can’t we integrate some machine operations or production lines? Can’t we save on maintenance costs? All these options; and yet more often than not, the real savings are just above your head.
With so much publicity in recent years on the benefits of LED lighting for reducing fuel bills and lowering carbon emissions, there can be few businesses which haven’t heard of them. Yet many report that the higher cost of LED bulbs is why they haven’t changed. Certainly they are more expensive than incandescent bulbs, but the cost has reduced significantly over the last few years, and will continue to drop as more LEDs are mass produced and sold.
What is not being taken into account is the extended lifespan of an LED bulb. Where a standard halogen bulb might cost £1.50, compared to an equivalent LED at £5, the LED will work, conservatively, twelve times longer than the halogen, In other words, you will need to replace the halogen twelve times during the single LEDs lifespan: cost, £18.00. Suddenly, LEDs don’t seem so expensive. Take a stroll through your office, manufacturing area, store room or warehouse, and count the bulbs. 50, 100, 150 bulbs - now we’re talking big money, and we haven’t got to the savings in operational costs yet.
With one 5w LED producing the same light as one 50w incandescent bulb, immediately the energy savings become obvious. To make things a little clearer, let’s compare a 5w LED with a 50w halogen. Both are on 10 hours a day, at a cost of 15p/Kwh. Over twelve months, the LED will use 18.26Kw, while the 50w halogen will consume 182.50Kw. At 15p/Kwh, the LED cost £2-74 over the year, while the 50w halogen cost £27-38.
As well as the big financial savings that come with changing to LED lighting, there are big environmental savings. The lower electricity consumption helps reduce CO2 emissions at power stations, while the extended life of LEDs reduces the number of lamps you have to dispose of. When they do stop working, LEDs are 95% recyclable, containing no mercury or other pollutants.
Ongoing research points to the fact your workforce is happier, more creative and more productive when they can work in natural light. LED lighting is much closer to the natural light spectrum compared to the harsh light of incandescent or fluorescent lighting, helping improve your workforce’s wellbeing and increasing output. If you would like more information on LEDs, please download our free e-book – Why Upgrade to LED Lighting.
Image source: https://unsplash.com/photos/lwwM_dotpcs