LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) are fast becoming a viable, low energy lighting solutions. From the dim red glow of LED digital watches in the eighties to the bright string of pearls that are the distinctive sidelights on new Audis, the development of LED technology has been phenomenal.

And LED technology is coming into the home. LED replacements for halogen spotlights, while still quite expensive, use a tiny fraction of the energy of a halogen bulb while lasting much much longer. A 35watt halogen can be replaced by a 2.5watt LED cluster which should last ten times as long (20,000 hours against 2,000 hours).

Yes, LEDs are still realtively expensive, but if you do the sums, based on current electricity prices of 9.5p/KwH, a single LED cluster would save around £4.50 per year (based on 4 hours a day usage) and over £60 over the life of the bulb. And that doesn’t include the cost of replacing the halogen bulb every 6 months or so!