Default Energy Cap and Lighting

It is assumed that most individuals in the UK will, by now be aware of the news released back in February of this year regarding the rise in the Default Energy Cap, a system which came into force way back on the 1^st of January in 1999. The latest information released by Ofgem was for the 8^th cap restriction period, operating from the 1^st of April 2022 until the 30^th of September 2022, where the energy cap is generally being increased by a staggering 54%, however, there are some small regional variances in this rise, depending upon where you live in the country.

For gas, the rise is somewhat stratospheric, however for electricity, it is just less daunting, but still significant, with the electricity unit rate increasing by a little over 30% alongside a significantly increased standing charge. Furthermore, it is expected that on the 1^st of October 2022, at the start of the next cap restriction period, there will be another incremental rise of, possibly more than 20%, increasing the Default Energy Cap still further.

Not an ideal scenario, but the question I hear you asking, is what has all this got to do with lighting at home?

The answer is easy, depending upon your current home lighting installation and its usage, the lighting could account for around 15% of energy costs and with an increase in those energy costs, now might be the best time to consider something that many will have probably thought of previously, but may not yet have implemented, that of changing the lighting within the home to LED, alongside installing a smart system which can provide additional benefits.

Based upon using that assumed 15% value mentioned above, saving a third on lighting usage will reduce total energy costs by around 5%, however a well implemented and carefully operated system could double that saving to nearer two thirds, thereby offering a 10% reduction in energy costs.

Now to consider how best to implement such a change in the home lighting, the best place to start may to look at each of the areas within the home to identify their primary use and what lighting would best serve that use. For areas of most use, such as the kitchen, dining room, lounge and possibly a home office, Ansell recessed downlights may offer the ideal solution for ambient illumination, supplemented, depending upon the location, by either fixed task lighting for the working areas, such as for the kitchen and home office, or by localised table lamps within the lounge area. Fixed accent lighting may offer additional illumination to highlight key features within each of the spaces and if the property is generally of an open plan type construction, it would be beneficial to consider how the lighting for each location, would work together to offer that cohesive solution.

For other areas, such as the hallway and landing as well as the bedrooms, ambient lighting is generally the main form of illumination, being supplemented by bedside or table lamps and here again Ansell recessed downlights can offer an ideal option. For bathrooms, the sealed recessed downlight option could provide both ambient and task illumination within this wet location.

Installing energy efficient lighting fittings provides just half the benefit, it is about the control which makes the system truly energy efficient, thereby saving the greatest amount in electrical energy cost. OCTO from Ansell Lighting is their premier connected lighting service offering customers with tailored and personalised solutions.

The OCTO system allows seamless pairing using WiZ Connected WiFi and Bluetooth hybrid technology, with the opportunity to optimise the lighting system using a smartphone, a remote, a motion sensor, or an existing wall switch, whilst also offering the added benefit in the ability to control the lighting when away from the home. Being able to schedule automation of the OCTO WiZ connected lighting system to fit within daily routines, creates an effective solution, whilst also maximising efficacy in optimising energy usage. In addition, the OCTO Wiz smart plug can be installed into a 13Amp 3-pin socket to switch on and off, those non-fixed lighting fittings such as desk and table lamps.

With each WiZ lighting product having its own 32-bit MCU chip with WiFi, this allows for smarter automation, where the lights are directly, constantly, and reliably connected to the cloud for up-to-date preferences and settings without any dependency of installing a hub or bridge. With a powerful multi-user system allowing three different tiers of access over multiple WiZ locations, the homeowner can amend settings for controlling the lights in all their WiZ locations by using internet connectivity or mobile data.

Whilst this investment is certainly not going to offer an earth-shattering saving on energy costs, it certainly does go a long way towards having a most energy efficient lighting within the home, where this new lighting installation operating with a connected lighting control system provides the opportunity of the right light at the right time for the right location, something which may be considered as being a significantly greater benefit than just energy saving.