The government has announced new proposals for energy efficient lighting that would slash energy use for households and businesses across Great Britain. Domestic and non-domestic buildings in England, Scotland, and Wales would be required to meet minimum energy performance standards that are higher than regulations currently in place in either the US or the EU.
If adopted, the regulations would come into action in late 2023, with further increased minimum standards introduced from September 2027.
Business and Energy Minister Lord Callanan said, “By going further with these regulations than either the US or EU, British homes, factories and offices will have some of the cheapest and greenest lighting in the world, helping keep down bills and reducing energy usage.”
Energy savings with businesses in mind
Practical applications of the proposal include implementing higher standards for lighting products sold in shops, such as those which are powered by low energy-use LEDs. Replacing a household’s halogen bulbs with LEDs can lead to consumer savings of roughly £2,000 to £3,000 over the lifetime of the bulbs, depending on the size of the building. Businesses can also utilise similar practices to reduce lighting costs in their buildings at a larger scale.
“Making homes and businesses more energy efficient and so bringing down fuel bills is part of the government’s wider long-term commitment, announced as part of the Autumn Statement, to reduce the UK’s final energy consumption from buildings and industry by 15% by 2030 against 2021 levels,” stated the government announcement.
Half of product models in the British market are already meeting new minimum energy performance standards, but lighting still accounts for a significant amount of energy consumption. The government estimates that the new regulations could result in 1.7 million tonnes of carbon savings by 2050, which is equal to a year’s worth of emissions from 2.5 million UK households.
