Why using LED bulbs at home is a bright idea
sir – Unlike Michael Thomas (Letters, March 5), I no longer hanker after incandescent light bulbs.
Every fitting in my house now has an LED bulb. I can rest easy knowing that in my declining years I will probably never need to clamber up a stepladder again. And for those who don’t understand what a lumen is (which includes me), the equivalent in “old money” is always helpfully printed on the packaging.
Hilary Jarrett
Norwich, Norfolk
sir – A lumen is the measure of the “volume” of light.
A typical 100W incandescent lamp produced about 1,200 lumens, but no one bothered to print this on the packaging. The equivalent amount of light is produced by an LED of one tenth of the wattage, and the bulb also has about eight times the longevity. The cost advantages of this are self-evident.
More important is to ensure that the lamp is in the right place to be really effective.
Carmichael A Thomas Wellingborough, Northamptonshire
sir – Old incandescent light bulbs are still available from some shops. They are labelled “rough service”, are about five times the price they used to be and do not last as long. Other alternatives include halogen bulbs: their equivalent wattages are usually clearly stated on the box.
Peter Varley
Reading, Berkshire