Lighting design tips for a more energy-efficient home
With energy-efficient lighting one of the most popular sustainable home improvements planned this year, we take a look at what’s on offer and how to upgrade your home’s eco-efficiency.
With energy-efficient lighting one of the most popular sustainable home improvements planned this year, we take a look at what’s on offer and how to upgrade your home’s eco-efficiency.
Accounting for around 10% of the average household electricity budget in Australia, giving your lighting a makeover could save big dollars in a short space of time.
Light-emitting diodes – or LED, globes are the most energy-efficient lighting choice, says Mandi Kontos, Beacon Lighting’s Architectural Lighting Designer.
“They are brighter and use less energy than the globes that we are used to. For example, an 806 lumen LED globe will give you the equivalent of a regular 60w globe, but will only use 7.5w of power” she says. 
While LEDs are more expensive up front than old-school halogen bulbs, their lifespan is significantly longer, lasting around 10 times as long (bonus benefit: less landfill.) It’s also worth noting halogens are being phased out in Australia, and as technology continues to rapidly evolve, even the gap between the per unit price is narrowing, with LEDs becoming increasingly cheaper.
While power prices range widely based on how your home is powered and your utility provider’s pricing, LEDs use about 75% less energy than halogen light-cost bulbs, so simply switching out all your halogen globes with their LED counterparts is going to save you on running costs.
Assuming a 30c/kwh electricity price, running a 50w halogen for 1 hour will consume 0.05 kwh or $0.015 per hour. In comparison, a 4.8w LED will consume 0.0048 kwh, for $0.0014 per hour. Over the halogens lifespan – around 2,000 hours, that’s $30 versus $2.80 for a LED (which also has closer to 50, 000 – 100,000 hours of play.)
Neither last nor least (we feel you’re sold on the savings potential), going LED will help buffer you against future price hikes – not only do they last for years in terms of replacement costs, with electricity costs constantly on the rise across the country, anything reducing your use is money in the bank.
The benefits extend beyond saving power (and running costs), Mandi adding they are also cooler to the touch, so there isn’t the risk of little fingers burning when they mistakenly touch a globe, and your air conditioner will thank you.
Smart lighting is also increasingly popular, giving people the flexibility to add schedules to their lighting as well as change the brightness and colours.
Using LED lights, smart lighting bulbs contain software that connects to an app, smart home assistant, or other smart accessory, allowing you to control them remotely, eliminating the need for traditional wall switches.
Smart lights cost more than straightforward LEDs, but they add convenience and an opportunity for further savings and safety.
Because you can operate them from your smartphone or tablet simply by installing an app that works through any WiFi connection, you can control your lighting from wherever you happen to be as long as you have an internet connection.
“Smart bulbs are a great option for energy efficiency, as they are LED and give you full flexibility when it comes to your lighting temperature – measured in kelvins, or with colours – red, blue, green, or pink for example,” says Mandi.
Other benefits?
Most of the globes you can change yourself if your lighting fixtures take one. If it’s a downlight, you will need an accredited electrician to change over the fittings.
Unsure of what you need? A lighting supplier can help you choose the right automated smart lighting system for your needs.
If you’re installing new lights (such as downlights), most electricians have experience with smart lights. Ask them which types of smart lights they have installed and why they recommend them.
One of the best features of LEDs and Smart lighting is their flexibility and fun. With LED strips being so easy to install, the sky (certainly the ceiling) is the limit with what you can light up, and Smart LEDs being able to pick up virtually any hue, you can make lighting a design feature like never before. Here are some ways to work with your lights:
LED lighting can be fitted to almost any shape or in any location, for example:
Lighting aside, modular plates – the coverings on your electrical switches, have come a long way, and you’re no longer stuck with a few standardised choices that are better left hidden away. You can now find a plate to fit any style of room (and yes, you can retrofit them.)
Want to make the switch to more energy-efficient lighting? From LED downlights to the latest in smart home tech, hipages helps connect you with trusted tradies. Just post your job on the app, and up to three tradies will be contacted asap.
Generally, a single smart light bulb costs around $20-$25, however, the more advanced bulbs can be upwards of $40. Because they are LEDs and are extremely energy efficient, they cost more than standard bulbs.
You do not have to have your entire house automated and may choose to begin with just a single room or two.
If you want smart lighting throughout your house, you can buy individual light bulbs or hire an electrician to retrofit smart lighting or smart home technology throughout your home.
In terms of the cost of installation, expect an electrician to take 5 to 20 minutes per light for a simple replacement/retrofit of downlights. Installing new LED downlights is a bigger job that typically involves accessing the ceiling cavity and installing new wiring. This could take anywhere from 2 to 3 hours per room, depending on the number of lights being installed.
A good way of getting an accurate idea of cost is to get a range of quotes from lighting electricians. This will enable you to get a sense of what market rates currently are.
The cost can depend on the number of lights to be installed, the type of ceiling the lights are being installed into, the quantity, whether the supply of lights is required, and the difficulty of installing them, meaning prices can vary dramatically.
Some electricians may charge as much as $100 each, while others may be able to install 3-5 downlights per hour at rates between $70-$80 an hour. These are installation costs only. If you are asking your electrician to supply the lights, that will be an extra cost.
Get Quotes from a local electrician
Changing a lightbulb is one of the few electrical jobs that you, as a homeowner, can do yourself. For everything else, including retrofitting LED light fittings, installing new LED light fittings, or working on any element of your electrical system you need to use a licensed electrician, who will need to be licensed in the state they are working in.
