Ministry pushes LED bulbs to cut energy bill

A new choice of light bulbs is being promoted to Jamaican consumers as a viable option to cut their lighting costs even further. Light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs provide another energy-saving alternative and produce more light with less energy.

Minister of Science, Technology, Energy and Mining Phillip Paulwell said the Government has committed to provide thousands of the bulbs to consumers this year.

"Our energy-efficiency programme in the Government is going to see the change-out of 100,000 lighting fixtures to LED bulbs. We are procuring now for that," the minister revealed.

The technology minister said consumers could save up to 20 per cent or more by making the change to LED bulbs.

"We had done an estimate sometime ago that in relation to a three-bedroom or two-bedroom home, you could cut your bills by upward of 20 per cent just by changing from incandescent at the time to fluorescent. But you get even more savings from LED. We have determined that when we move from the mercury lamps that we use on the street lamps to LED lamps ... you will save more than 50 per cent. And there is a special project that the Ministry of Local Government and myself are working on to achieve that."

He said availability should increase as duties have been removed and several retailers have begun to stock the bulbs.

Meanwhile, Kirk Forbes, sales executive at Superior Lighting, located at 88 Hagley Park Road, is emphasising consumer savings.

"It lasts up to 50,000 hours. that is five times more than fluorescent and is more environmentally friendly," he said.