New lightbulb tool reveals households could save £200 a year just by switching to LED bulbs
The new energy saving calculator works out how much you could save after you've entered your tariff type and how many non-LED lightbulbs you have
SWITCHING your lightbulbs to energy saving models could save you around £232 a year on your energy bill.
Many homes use halogen lightbulbs which are known to waste energy through heat, causing a hike in the household's energy bill.
Despite this, people have been slow to buy energy efficient lightbulbs, often because the initial cost of the bulb is so much more.
But a new tool by might just be what it takes to get you to finally make the switch.
The works out how much you could save on your bill by simply switching to energy efficient ones.
All you need to do is let the tool know if you're on a standard variable or fixed tariff, and how many non-LED light bulbs you have at home.
Then it compares how much your current light bulbs cost to run with the cost if they were all replaced with LED energy saving bulbs.
It also works out the difference - and the results may shock you.
The price comparison website behind the tool found that a medium sized property using 20 60w halogen lightbulbs for five hours a day, racks up a bill of £378.69 a year.
But if they changed them all to 11W LED bulbs - which give the same brightness as 60W halogen ones - their annual bill would come to £146.96, saving them £231.74 over the year.
The push to use energy efficient lightbulbs has been helped along by EU regulation aimed at phasing out the sale of halogen bulbs since 2016, but people are still put off but the price difference.
A 50W halogen lightbulb, which can power a lamp, will cost around, whereas a costs £3.99 for one.
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LED supporters argue that energy efficient lightbulbs typically last 20 to 25 times longer than traditional bulbs, so even though the upfront cost is more, in the long term they will save you more.
There are other online tools you can use to see what ways you can save on your energy bills.
New free web app Bean could save you £672 a year by tracking your bills and subscriptions, and suggesting alternative energy suppliers.
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