Does everyone use LED lights?

Please note: As of 1st February 2023, FREE Lighting upgrades are no longer available for Victorian homes. This is in accordance with the Victorian Energy Upgrades program (VEU).

Does everyone have LEDs?

Not, but LEDs are the most advanced lighting technology we have available for our homes and businesses. And, whilst the technology has been around for decades some of us are still stuck in the ‘dark ages’ of lighting with flickering fluros, or horrid halogens or even irritating incandescents.

There are reasons that some homes and businesses haven’t upgraded to LEDs:

• They didn’t know they could upgrade
• They assume it will cost more money than they can spend right now
• They don’t understand the benefits of taking the time to upgrade to LED
• And perhaps they’re a little set in their ways and don’t like the idea of change

All of these are perfectly understandable reasons that someone won’t have upgraded their lights to LED, but let’s break them down.

1) They didn’t know they could upgrade to LED

There have been many advertising campaigns from installers like ourselves and the VEU Program (previously VEET scheme) attempting to make Victorians aware they can upgrade their lights to LED for free or heavily subsidised, but if you haven’t seen the ads, or you know someone who hasn’t upgraded yet, you might like to know that the lighting upgrade incentive through the Victorian Energy Upgrades program (VEU) is the most popular energy efficiency incentive running in the state. To date, it has accounted for the most VEECs registered with Energy Makeovers (that’s us!) as the top contributor to the program

We have upgraded the lights in thousands of homes and businesses and helped Victorians reduce their energy costs, heating costs and carbon emissions thanks to improved lighting. In most cases, these upgrades were completed free of charge through the VEU program.

Did you know? Since 2009 the number of energy efficiency certificates allocated have enabled the equivalent of 18.7 million cars off the road for a year and 44.1 million trees planted. An important step in the fight against climate change.

This data is taken from the VEU dashboard

2) They assume it will cost more than they can afford right now

As we’ve mentioned before and have shouted about for years; our LED upgrades are often FREE! Completely free! You can upgrade your whole home, or business to LED for free. There are some terms & conditions to entry – for example, if you don’t have lights, then there’s nothing we can upgrade and if you already have LEDs (in your home) we can’t upgrade what doesn’t need upgrading (but we can in businesses!), but we’re happy to have a chat with you and confirm you’re eligible for a free or heavily subsidised upgrade.

Please note: As of 1st February 2023, FREE Lighting upgrades are no longer available for Victorian homes. This is in accordance with the Victorian Energy Upgrades program (VEU).

3) They don’t understand the benefits of taking the time to upgrade to LED

We are now in the 2^nd generation of free or heavily subsidised energy-efficient lighting upgrades.

• • The first generation in homes started about 10 years ago and included the replacement of incandescent lamps with Compact Fluoro lamps (curly fluoros) saving about 75% of the energy cost.  (You can now upgrade your CFLs again – to LED bulbs saving a further 50% of the energy cost. Now some upgrades from incandescents to LEDs can reduce your energy demand by 95%!
  • The first generation in businesses started about 8 years ago and included the replacement of metal halide lights with LED lights saving about 75% of energy costs.  New state-of-the-art LED lamps are twice as efficient as these earlier LED lamps so we can now replace old LED lights with more efficient LED lights saving a further 50% of the energy cost.

So, upgrading your home or business to LED from outdated inefficient lights like halogens, metal halides, fluorescents and incandescents could actually reduce your lighting energy costs by as much as 95%!

4) And perhaps they’re a little set in their ways

Some Victorians might be a little slow to make the change because they’re unsure about LEDs – the technology might seem new and unnecessary. But, it’s getting hard to buy lamps that are not LED. Some countries have banned the sales of energy-guzzling lamps like incandescents BECAUSE they’re so inefficient and outdated. LEDs can last for decades without going out, they cost a fraction to light, they don’t get dangerously hot and they supply a superior lighting quality.

LEDs are even free or heavily subsidised, so why would you buy outdated lights when you can get the highest quality Government approved lamps completely free of charge?

Please note: As of 1st February 2023, FREE Lighting upgrades are no longer available for Victorian homes. This is in accordance with the Victorian Energy Upgrades program (VEU).