CHANGE A LIGHT DAY – HOW MANY REASONS DOES IT TAKE TO CHANGE A LIGHT BULB?

The 3^rd of October is Change a Light Day, which encourages people to save electricity by changing their light bulbs, or light fixtures, to an eco-friendlier version.

Change a Light Day was created so that people could be encouraged to make just one small change in their home that would result in them consuming less energy.  Switching from an incandescent lightbulb to an LED lightbulb can help save energy and money, and ultimately, the environment.

This is according to Orlando Luis, CEO of Brights Hardware who explains that lighting is a significant contributor to electricity consumption in most people’s homes, and that in South Africa approximately 50% of the country’s electricity overall is consumed through lighting.  “The replacement of lights with energy efficient ones is one of the simplest and most cost-effective measures to reduce electricity consumption – by only changing one light bulb in your home you can reduce your carbon footprint and lower your electricity bills.  That’s how impactful making the switch to LED lightbulbs can be.”

“If you consider that just changing one light bulb in your home can have an impact, imagine what impact widespread use of LED lighting could have on energy savings in South Africa overall – a country known for our energy constraints,” says Luis.  “When compared with incandescent bulbs, LED bulbs consume up to 90 percent less power.  If your house is filled with incandescent bulbs, you will be using a lot more electricity than you could be if you switched to LED.”

Another key benefit associated with LED lighting is the fact that the bulbs have a longer life span.

“Until recent years, LED bulbs that fit common household sockets were relatively expensive.  However, today LED bulbs are often similarly priced to older style bulbs – and can last 10 to 20 times as long.  This is turn saves money as you do not need to replace your light bulbs as often, and it also means there is less waste going to landfills – think of all the billions of light bulbs that end up on refuse dumps!” says Luis, who goes on to unpack another environmental benefit of LED bulbs – the fact that they are free from toxic chemicals, whereas most conventional bulbs contain numerous materials that are bad for the environment, such as mercury.

And it is not just about being the right thing to do.  LED lightbulbs are also more effective and efficient than incandescent bulbs.  Luis explains that LEDs emit light in a specific direction, reducing the need for reflectors and diffusers that can trap light. “This feature makes LEDs more efficient for many uses such as recessed downlights and task lighting. With other types of lighting, the light must be reflected to the desired direction, and more than half of the light may never leave the fixture.”

This makes LED’s perfect for uses such as lighting walkways and other outdoor areas, lighting tight spaces such as countertops for cooking and reading recipes, recessed downlights in kitchens, hallways, and bathrooms, and in a number of office and commercial settings.

LEDs also emit less heat which makes them safer for applications such as decorative lighting like fairy lights and Christmas tree lights – reducing the risk of combustion or burnt fingers, they also last longer and they are easier to install.

“By switching from incandescent to LED, you are helping to reduce carbon emissions, decrease greenhouse gas emissions, reduce toxic chemicals and waste to landfills, and save money.  When you take all these benefits into account, it is not hard to see why LED lights are the way to go!”

Brights Hardware are encouraging South Africans to take part in Change a Light Day and to change at least one lightbulb in their home to an LED.  “Head on over to your nearest Brights store to get an LED lightbulb for your home. Pick whatever place in your house that you think is using up the most energy and switch the lightbulb,” says Luis.

“Brights has on-site experts in all our stores to provide advice and guidance on LED lighting – whether you are looking to purchase a loose bulb or two or are wanting to install LED task lighting or perhaps purchase LED camping lights, our knowledgeable staff members can provide you with all the product insights and information that you need,” concludes Luis.

Brights stores are located in Boston, Blackheath, Langebaan, Mitchells Plain, Montague Park, Plattekloof, Stonewood, Brackengate and Sunningdale. As well as an online store shopping experience available at www.brights.co.za.