The Lighting Industry Needs to Do More to Educate Businesses and Consumers with Practical LED Information

Fitting LEDs in a home or business premises has long been regarded as a straightforward way to save money on electricity bills and help the environment. Even though the benefits of LEDs are rarely out of the media, consumers and businesses are still not making the switch.

With LED bulbs being around three times more expensive than CFLs or halogens, the initial cost could be blamed as the main reason people don’t install LEDs. However, after surveying our customers, we found that although price is a factor, a lack of practical information on how to buy and install LEDs is also a key problem.

The survey revealed that although 67% of consumers know LEDs will reduce the cost of their energy bills, many people don’t know how to take the first step to install LEDs. The results showed that 39% of people wouldn’t know what to enter into Google if searching for LED replacement lighting for the home. Although LED lights have been available online for some time, not having the information needed to choose and fit the correct bulbs at point of purchase is a major stumbling block for consumers to overcome.

Consumers’ lack of information on LEDs was also evident in that 28% of the people surveyed didn’t know that LED lighting could be used in the home at all.

These figures are alarming as even though coverage of the benefits of LEDs is high, practical information on how to find and install the most appropriate LEDs is grossly lacking.

As an industry, we need to do more to educate consumers and businesses beyond the benefits of why they should install LEDs and provide straightforward advice on how to buy and install these bulbs. This survey shows that there is potentially a lot of money left on the table for companies operating in this industry because we are not giving consumers the information they need to make a purchase decision. Consumers and businesses looking for practical ways to cut energy bills need the reassurance that not only are LEDs a way to save money, making the switch is a simple process.

Written by: Neil Kennedy Neil Kennedy is Sales and Marketing Manager for the online lamp retailer Lamp Shop Online. The results of the LED survey are available on their website.