FAQs

Electric lighting burns up to 25% of the average home energy budget.

Just simply plug and play! Swap any bulb in your home for LED!

In recent years LEDs have been widely used in very specific applications. However, the technology is now mature and offers effective, competitive and highly advantageous solutions for general lighting applications. A wide range of LED Retrofit Lighting now exists, unfortunately the vast majority of the LED lamps available on the market are of poor construction, low light output and questionable life span.

The commercial range of LED products we offer have been engineered for long life, using premium components and the brightest and robust LEDs available on the market. All our CREE based products have been certified and undergone rigourous testing to ensure they stand up to their claims.

There are lots of myths surrounding LEDs, which the industry needs to dispel. For example, fitting LEDs previously required lots of wiring and soldering, but now many retrofit bulbs offer ‘plug and play’ like functionality....you simply just swap out the bulb!

LED Lighting Facts

Energy Efficiency
LEDs are highly efficient. New LED Retrofit bulbs typically consume only a few watts of power, resulting in massive savings in energy bills compared to their equivalents.

Long Life
LEDs are projected to produce a long service life of between 10,000 and 50,000 hours. For this reason LEDs are ideal for hard-to-reach / maintain fixtures such as exit sign lighting and combined with its durability - pathway lighting.

Plug & Play Retrofit
Many LED bulbs are now available as a direct replacement for standard lighting, simply swap out the bulb and plug in the LED replacement.

Wide Range of Colours
LED bulbs are available in warm and cool white colour temperatures. The majority of LED bulbs are also available in a wide range of colours, such as red, green, blue, yellow etc. LED effects lighting offers rich vibrant colours that is sure to impress.

No UV Emissions / Low Infrared / Low Heat
LEDs produce no UV radiation and relatively little heat, making them ideal for illuminating objects, such as works of art or perishable foot items that are sensitive to heat and UV light.

Durable
LEDs are very rugged. They feature no filament that can be damaged due to shock and vibrations.

Low Toxicity
Unlike compact fluorescents, LEDs don’t contain mercury and hence can be more safely disposed of.

Instant On
LEDs reach their full brightness almost instantly, unlike compact fluorescents which can take more than a minute to reach their maximum output.

Compact
LED retrofit bulbs are designed fit into existing fittings as they are almost identical in size and shape to the bulbs they replace.

Good lighting is about more than just light levels. The same level of light can provide effective or ineffective lighting. Some lighting can make rooms flat and featureless even when it's bright. A lighting designer will be able to help you design more effective lighting, but make sure they know you also want an energy efficient system.

LED Benefits

The LED Benefit LEDs are highly energy-efficient, are available in a wide range of colour temperatures, consume only a few watts of power and emit little waste heat. With average service lives of up to 50,000 hours, LED lamps are perfect for hard-to-reach and maintain fixtures. Besides reducing maintenance, they substantially extend bulb replacement cycles, further cutting costs. LEDs reach full brightness almost instantly unlike compact fluorescents that can take more than minute to achieve their maximum output. Existing lighting technologies are omni-directional and require external, inefficient reflectors to focus the light they emit. LED lighting is by its nature a directional light source, so that light is used efficiently and distributed to exactly where it is needed. Enhanced Capital Allowances White LED Lighting is now on the Government’s Energy Technology List, so that all our LED replacement products qualify for Enhanced Capital Allowances, enabling companies to write off this capital expenditure in the first year. Carbon Trust and Salix Loans SMEs and public sector organizations may qualify for interest-free loans that absorb the upfront costs of an energy-saving lighting project. Loan repayments are spread over the length of the project’s payback period so that the cost is effectively funded by ongoing energy savings. Secondary Saving Benefits With the extended life span of LED Lamps, there are significant savings to be made with reduced maintenance and lamp replacement costs. Other secondary benefits include reductions in air conditioning costs due to the significantly reduced heat generated by LED lamps.

Reduced Deterioration of Cabling and Fittings

With a significant reduction in electrical current draw from LED lights, wiring and electrical fittings will suffer less from deterioration and hence last longer.

Extended Lifespan of Emergency Battery Systems

Where emergency back-up battery systems are in place, the lower electrical draw from LED lamps can reduce the number of batteries required or can significantly extend the lifespan of existing batteries as the natural deterioration in battery run-time is minimised by the low wattage required by LEDs.

Reduced New Fitting Costs

Where new fittings are desirable, there is a reduced cost of the fitting as our LED Tubes and 240v LED spots do not require any control gear such as ballasts or transformers. Ideal Lights can supply stripped out fittings at a reduced cost, which are plug-and-play ready for our range of LED products.

LED FAQs

What technology are we talking about?

New generation Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) that generate 3-5 times more light than previous LED offerings.

What do we mean by ultra low-energy?

Minimum reductions in energy consumption of 64%, rising to over 90% in some models.

How long is long-life?

LED lamps – an average of 50,000 hours, equivalent to 10-15 years’ normal usage.

Environmentally friendly?

LED lamps do not contain any hazardous lead or mercury found in existing fluorescent tubes and so are not subject to WEEE regulations and disposal costs.

And retrofit?

Plug-and-play - these new LED lamps slot directly into standard incandescent, low-energy, halogen and fluorescent light fittings and sockets.