Look up and take stock of the recessed lighting in your home. Are you using LEDs in the high-traffic kitchen, hallways, and bathrooms? If not, a quick and simple DIY switch to a LED retrofit recessed lighting kit could save you money, add more versatility and style to your home’s look and feel, all while helping to save the planet.
Here’s why.
- First, the long game. LED (light-emitting diode) bulbs last a lot longer and are more durable than traditional 60-watt incandescent bulbs, so you won’t have to replace them as often. We’re talking up to an estimated 50,000 hours or 22 years of maintenance-free lighting compared to just 1,000 hours. LEDs also last longer than compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) and halogen lights.
- More immediately, you may be able to get a rebate from your local utility company when you retrofit with LED light fixtures. Type your zip code into the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ENERGY STAR rebate finder (https://www.energystar.gov/rebate-finder) to find offers in your area.
- Consider the heat factor. LED lighting is safer to the touch, giving off very little heat with no IR (infrared) or UV (ultraviolet) emissions. In comparison, traditional incandescent bulbs release 90 percent of their energy as heat.
- With LED recessed lighting you can get that beautiful warm-yellow lighting for a cozy kitchen dinner or a cool-white task lighting needed to read a recipe or do homework. In technical terms, the color tuning range offered by LED dim-to-warm technology is 2700K (warm) to 5000K (cool). K stands for “Kelvin” and is the scientific rating for color temperature.
- ENERGY STAR rated LED lighting products use up to 70 to 90 percent less energy. So, when you retrofit your recessed downlighting with LEDs you are reducing your home’s overall electrical consumption for lighting. At the same time, you’re doing your part to significantly reduce carbon emissions. According to EPA.gov, electricity production generates the second largest share of greenhouse gas emissions.
- Earth-friendly LEDs have no mercury components, so they have a much smaller environmental impact.
- LED recessed lighting retrofit installation kits are an easy, do-it-yourself (DIY) weekender project that can add value, cost-savings, and style to your home. See how easy in this two-minute video by Springfield Electric’s ENERGY STAR rated Halo LED supplier, Cooper Lighting.
At Springfield Electric, our focus has always been on residential, light commercial, and remodeling builders. For years, you have relied on us to enhance your lighting with trendsetting design, knowledgeable professionals, and state-of-the-art products like today’s LED lighting and Smart Home products. Our goal is to help you through the process of lighting your home to reflect your lifestyle. By partnering with recognizable lighting design suppliers, our lighting and electrical products offering is broad and fits almost any budget.
