As of 2024, over 5.5 million households in the UK have switched to LEDs. More and more people are choosing LEDs over traditional bulbs because:
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They consume up to 90% less energy than incandescent bulbs and 60% less than fluorescent bulbs
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They last much longer than traditional bulbs
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LEDs don’t contain mercury, which is present in CFL bulbs
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Replacing just a single halogen bulb with an LED saves roughly 5kg of CO2 emissions
In short, LED light bulbs are good not only for your pocket but also for the environment. Embracing LEDs could contribute to massive carbon reductions. For example, a report claims if all 28 million homes in Britain switched to 100% LED bulbs, this alone could reduce annual CO2 emissions by 1.7 million tonnes.
The message is loud and clear: Switch to LEDs, if not to reduce your monthly energy bills, then do it to for your love for our planet.
That LEDs are a smarter choice than traditional bulbs for lighting homes is as true as that an apple is a fruit. However, because folks have been using incandescent bulbs for so long, they often have questions when the switch to LEDs.
One common question people ask is:
Can I use a bigger wattage in my lighting fitting? For instance, is it okay to use a LED light bulb having an output of 100W with a light fixture that is designed for 60W incandescent bulbs?
The quick answer: Yes, you can.
Now, let’s look at the detailed answer. When shopping for LED bulbs, you are likely to come across labels that read something like... 40-watt equivalent or 60-watt equivalent.
Let’s assume you’re walking down the aisle of your local store and pick an LED bulb with a label “60-watt equivalent”.
What is the meaning of this label?
If you see a “60-watt equivalent” label on an LED bulb, it means that bulb’s output is similar to a 60W incandescent bulb — and not that the bulb consumes 60W of electricity.
For example, The Liquid LEDs 5.5W Candle LED Bulb consumes only 6 watts yet matches the brightness of a 60-watt bulb.
Incandescent bulbs generate significant heat during operation, unlike LED light bulbs. Therefore, it is safe to use an LED bulb with a higher wattage equivalent than specified for your fixture. For example, you can use a 100-watt equivalent LED bulb in a 60-watt fixture if it doesn't exceed the 60-watt energy consumption limit