LED Lighting in Ayrshire And Arran (7)

LED lights or light emitting diodes are a highly efficient light source. They only allow current to move in one direction and create light when electricity passes through a semiconductor. LED bulbs are available in a range of wattages and offer instant lighting. They’re also available in LED light strips.

What are the advantages of LED lights?

LED lights are an excellent choice for your home and are becoming more popular thanks to their range of benefits. These include:

• Efficiency - LED bulbs are very efficient, using around 90% less electricity than incandescent bulbs. This means you’ll quickly recover your initial investment through savings on your energy bills

• Lifespan - Gone are the days when changing light bulbs was a common, frequent occurrence. LED light bulbs can last up to 30 years depending on how often they’re used

• Temperature - These bulbs work even on low temperature days

• Warm up time - LED lighting doesn't need time to warm up. Bright light is produced instantly

What are the disadvantages of LED lights?

If you’re considering installing LED lights in your home, it’s important to look at their drawbacks along with their benefits. Some of the disadvantages of LED lights include:

• Dimmer - If you want to use a dimmer with your LED bulbs, you may need to make a few upgrades as not all dimmers are compatible

• Light colour - Rather than a warm yellow, LED lights produce a cool white light with a hint of blue that some homeowners dislike

• Price - LED bulbs usually cost upwards of £10, however with energy bill savings you will recoup this payment quickly

• Variety - Because there are a wide variety of LED bulbs available, it can be difficult to match the light colours and levels throughout your home

LED lights run off electricity so can't run without a power source. Some bulbs use batteries but many LED lights will need to be wired into your home. Having said that, LED bulbs don't need specialist wiring so they’ll work perfectly in your standard light fittings.

In many cases, LED light bulbs can simply be plugged into existing fittings. This job is suitable for anyone who can work safely using a ladder. However, if you intend to install new LED lighting in your home, this requires new wiring to be fitted.

Technically, you can fit electrical wiring at home yourself, however, this will need to be signed off by an electrician before it can be used.

The price you pay for your LED lights will vary depending on the type, power and shape of LED light you choose. Having said that, the average LED light cost is usually between £10 and £20. If you’d prefer to have an LED tube light, this price will go up to between £20 and £50.

LED light running costs

Another important consideration when choosing LED lighting is the running costs of these bulbs. As we mentioned, they’re very efficient but their running costs will change depending on the below factors:

• Usage - The more you use your LED lights, the higher the running cost will be

• Power - LED bulbs are available in different wattages. Higher powered bulbs produce more light but are more expensive to run

• Number of bulbs - The more LED bulbs you use in your home, the more they’ll cost to run

• Type of LED lighting - There are many different types of LED lighting, for example, tube lights or christmas lights. Each type of LED lighting will have a different running cost

As a rough guide, you can expect to pay £0.001 to run a 3W LED bulb per hour, this equates to £3.72 a year. For more prices and advice, check out our LED light running cost guide.

If you plan to simply change an existing bulb for an LED bulb, the LED lighting installation cost will be free. However, if you want to add a new light fixture to your home, it’s safest to pay an electrician to do the work for you. As such, you may be wondering about LED lighting installation costs.

Many electricians will charge an hourly rate for this job, although some may charge per job. As a rough guide, the average electrician hourly rate is **£50 **. If you’d like to learn more, our electrician hourly rate guide is a great resource bursting with prices and information.

It’s possible to buy LED lighting in bulbs or strips but they can be quite tricky to install. Installing LED strip lights involves working with electrical components including soldering so this isn’t recommended for DIY beginners. It’s much safer to simply hire a qualified professional to do the work for you.