By Alissa MacMillan
Q: In the hardware stores, I’ve noticed recently the energy ratings on LED light bulbs seem to only go from C to E, which seems energy inefficient. I thought LEDs were supposed to be the most efficient, or have the ratings just changed?
A: Your question is especially timely, as many of us are stringing up Christmas lights this season. And your confusion is justified because, according to Tim Stokes, Market Surveillance Program Manager with the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), the energy ratings changed as of March 1st, 2023, as have those energy labels. Since then, “retailers are no longer allowed to sell products which haven’t been rescaled for the latest energy labeling for lightbulbs.”
There are strict rules regarding lighting around what you’re allowed to sell, says Stokes, with some old products still available in shops. All energy labels now have QR codes on them, which is an indicator it’s new.
“If you see an old blue border label or no QR code and it isn’t on an A-G scale, but on an A+ to F scale, they shouldn’t be selling it at all, it’s illegal.
Indeed, LED, which stands for “light-emitting diode,” is by far the most efficient and meant to last a lifetime. It’s also mostly what’s available in shops now, with one or two exceptions, Stokes say, including the odd special purpose halogen bulb for an oven or fridge, as “they don’t necessarily make LEDs which are able to withstand those conditions of being in a very cold or hot environment.”
If stores are selling lights with the old label, but they are LED, it’s possible they just haven’t gotten the replacement sticker.
Stokes also notes that you can’t compare the old and new labels – “a B before could well be a G now.” To help consumers, manufacturers provide what they think the old incandescent equivalent is, for example, a 100-watt incandescent is about 14-20 watts as an LED, 150 watts is 23-30, and the old 60 watts is 8-12 for LED. The label will give some indication of this, Stokes says, and you can use kilowatt hours to estimate how much that lamp is going to cost you.
‘OBLIGATION ON THE PRODUCER’
With lighting, design is also important, Stokes notes. Better if one switch doesn’t turn on every light in the room or if you can have dimmers. You also want to buy the right bulb for the job.
“There is a lot of good lighting out there and a lot of good lighting products, but there are also a small but significant number of products which are not so good,” the barrier to selling lights being quite low, so you might be wary of super-cheap items.
They might not be quite as bright, but the good news is, at 90-97% more efficient than the old lights, LED lighting won’t cost you much, whatever the rating, and the efficiency burden has, for the most part, been taken away from the consumer. As Dr. Paul Deane, Senior Lecturer in Clean Energy Futures at UCC, explains, “thankfully, the European Commission has put the obligation on the producer to make the electricity use much much lower,” and this goes for all types of appliances, he says, “capturing a wider trend in technology.”
Stokes adds, “Generally speaking, lighting by itself, one light fitting in a room, is not going to cost you a lot of money, but if you buy across your house, it adds up.”
“It’s a tiny amount of energy that they use, because of the new regulations,” Deane says. “You can’t buy energy inefficient light bulbs anymore.”
FOCUS ELSEWHERE FOR BIG SAVINGS
There are many areas where you can reduce your energy bills, but this is not the biggest, Stokes notes. Deane suggests you instead focus on the two biggies: “what you’re eating and how you’re heating,” especially at Christmas, which is “a terrible time for food waste.”
Stokes agrees that “heating and hot water are far and away the biggest greenhouse gas emitters.” But because LED is energy efficient, people get quite relaxed, losing some of the potential energy savings, Stokes points out. Lighting is still a big area for energy usage, “not necessarily in the household, but it is as important from a national point of view.”
Especially at Christmas, we have a tendancy to over-light, says Stokes, and you might consider the negative impact on bats and other wildlife.
“If you do National Lampoons and cover your house for Christmas, you don’t need it,” adds Deane.
Both recommend switching your thermostat down by one or two degrees, which can “save you hundreds,” says Deane, who suggests a setting of 19 or 20 degrees, 23-24 being far too warm and not great for your health. Stokes points to the latest heat pump tumble dryer, which is much more efficient than the old ones, and choosing the right fridge/freezer for your house – one that’s too big will cost you dearly. And lights can still be inefficient: “Touch it and check if it’s hot. Anything that heats something up or cools something down uses a lot of electricity,” says Deane, even opening and shutting the fridge a few too many times.
Both agree it’s on these larger products that energy labels matter more. As Stokes explains, of two fridge/freezers with the same D rating on energy efficiency, the larger, American-style will cost you nearly €40 more per annum to run than the smaller one. SEAI has a “Triple E” register across all products, indicating those that are the most energy efficient.
THE JOY OF FESTIVE LIGHTS
As for those Christmas trees lights, “if you wind the clock back, those old Christmas trees lights that had 15 or 20 lights on them, tended to be big, nerve wracking,” and huge energy sucks, but “if you’ve purchased them in the last two or three years, they are probably LED,” Deane says. A newer LED strand, if you can keep it untangled, store it well, and use it for a few years, will use “probably a euro worth of electricity on your tree over each season,” he says.
That being said, “don’t buy crap you don’t need,” Deane adds. “Using what you have last year will save you more money,” and watch the bigger things – the heating and eating.
One of Deane’s mantras is: “don’t sweat the small stuff,” especially at this time of year. “Buy LED, buy what you need, and don’t feel guilty for having Christmas lights on. They bring a lot of joy and light into a difficult time of year for a lot of people.”
