Save with green light bulbs

When the clocks go back at the end of October, your energy bills will go up. Since households use an average of seven hours of artificial light every day of winter, it’s worth swapping to energy-saving bulbs to save nearly £40 a year.

Your options include compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), which come in stick and candle shapes with either screw or bayonet fittings; energy-saving halogen bulbs (which use 30 per cent less electricity than standard halogens), or LED bulbs, which can be used to replace existing halogen spotlights.

If you’re put off by the slow start-up of “green” bulbs, try LEDs, which light up instantly. Although they’re expensive, costing £20-£30 each, their life expectancy of 20,000 to 50,000 hours means they can be a money-saving option.

James Shortridge, of lighting group Ryness, says: “Many of us can’t afford to change all our bulbs suddenly to LED, so prioritise. Start with lights that are used the most, like those in the kitchen, hall and landing. For lesser-used areas consider low-wattage halogen bulbs.”

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