Being a bright spark

If you've been on the hunt for different ways to make your home more eco-friendlier and energy efficient, there's no doubt you've come across numerous recommendations to achieve just that. While replacing your home's five most frequently used lighting fixtures with ENERGY STAR-rated alternatives might save you money, there are many other reasons to make the upgrade besides cost savings. 

Keep reading for three reasons to upgrade your residential lighting systems to LED light bulbs and fixtures.

LED Lights are More Eco-Friendly

LED lights are an ideal alternative if you care a lot about environmental conservation and sustainability. CFL (compact fluorescent lamps) and incandescent tubes have mercury, which can cause severe health risks if exposed to humans or animals. For this reason, this type of lighting is classified as universal waste. While there are many recycling plants for universal waste in Australia, not all homeowners take the initiative to dispose of their CFL light bulbs properly.

On the contrary, LED light bulbs don't contain toxic mercury substances. However, it's imperative to read the label before purchasing LED lighting fixtures since some might contain metals like lead, copper and nickel. LED light bulbs help reduce your waste footprint since you can place them in your trash bins without worrying about harmful environmental impacts. 

LEDs Have Longer Lifespans Than Conventional Lights

Compared to CFLs, LEDs do not burn out quickly but experience a lumen depreciation phenomenon, where their brightness reduces over time. That means they won't cease working, even if their illuminance dims towards the end of their service life.

Besides their exceptional ability to continue illuminating longer than conventional CFL bulbs, LEDs have an exceptionally prolonged lifespan. According to USAToday, an incandescent bulb has an average lifespan of just one year, while the 12-W LED bulb can last up to 25 years! Besides, LEDs with higher wattages might last much longer depending on usage requirements. 

LEDs Focus on the Quality of Light 

If you can't distinguish grey- and white-coloured objects in the evening, your existing lighting fixtures might be the problem. Ideally, bulbs aren't designed to achieve visible light's full spectrum. However, with the rise in technological advancements, LED lighting fixtures can now render colour much better than other conventional alternatives. Consequently, they allow you to distinguish the different colours while helping conserve energy. 

Lastly, not all LED fixtures have the same lighting quality. Therefore, consider ENERGY STAR-rated products which have undergone thorough lab testing for performance and quality. Watch out for and always be wary of low-quality LED products to find those worth your investment.