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When you’re picking out new eco-friendly lights for your home, you’ll see the letters “CRI” on the packaging followed by a number. So, what does this mean and is it important? Here are some insights from our team who are providing eligible homeowners with an LED upgrade through the Victorian Energy Upgrades program .  Firstly, CRI stands for Colour Rendering Index. This is a scale that measures how colours look under artificial lighting in contrast to natural sunlight. The scale ranges from 0 to 100, with 0 indicating that the light changes colour significantly from what it looks like in natural sunlight, and 100 indicating that colours will be the most similar in appearance to how they look in natural sunlight.   As a result, it’s very important to consider the CRI of your eco-friendly lights before you buy them, as they can have a big impact on the atmosphere and aesthetics of your home.  What is the Best CRI for Lighting a Home?  Almost no lighting offers a...

For the majority of homeowners in Australia, living an eco-friendly life where you actively reduce your carbon footprint is a priority. Here are some tips for having a sustainable festive season, from installers of eco-friendly lights accredited under the Victorian Energy Efficiency Scheme .  Shop Local  Small local businesses have been the hardest hit during the COVID-19 pandemic, but that’s not the only reason you should support them! By buying locally made products rather than items that have to be shipped across the country, you’re reducing your carbon footprint too.  Get a Sustainable Christmas Tree  If you celebrate Christmas, think outside the box for your Christmas tree! Get a live native shrub that you can plant in the garden, search the beaches for a beautiful piece of driftwood, or create your own Christmas tree with brush, boughs and sticks from your garden.  Choose Eco-Friendly Wrapping Paper  Most people aren’t aware that wrapping paper isn’...

We all know that most things that we use in our homes and offices depreciate in value over time, like our cars or printers – but what is lumen deficiency? And what does that mean for LED lightbulbs ? Here are some insights from LED light installation specialists accredited under the Victorian Energy Upgrade Program .  LED lightbulbs have a much longer lifespan than halogen or compact fluorescents, easily lasting 50,000 hours or more. But no lightbulb lasts forever. In traditional bulbs, you’ll simply flick a switch one day and nothing will happen – but it’s a bit different when you’re working with LEDs. Rather than failing outright and leaving you in the dark, they simply get increasingly dim over time.  Lumens is the measurement of brightness – so, the brighter your lightbulb, the more lumens it is emitting. Over time, your LED lightbulbs emit fewer and fewer lumens – less than the amount it is rated for on the box you purchased them in. The process whereby they get dimmer i...

 One of the main reasons why homeowners are put off buying LED lightbulbs is because they are noticeably more expensive than other lights. Even though they will save you more in the long-term because they use far less energy and have a very long lifespan, the initial cost can be an issue. Here are some insights from free LED upgrade providers in Victoria who help homeowners reduce carbon footprints affordably.  Why LEDs are More Expensive Than Regular Lightbulbs  LED lightbulbs are very, very different technology to other lightbulbs and, simply put, the components that go into building the lightbulbs are much more expensive. These components include drivers, circuit boards and even phosphor (a rare earth compound).  It’s all because of how LED technology works. Instead of using a filament or chemical mix that uses electricity to heat up components to produce light, LED lightbulbs use a tiny semi-conductor called a Light-Emitting Diode to produce light. The diode e...

A home theatre is a fantastic addition to your home, creating a fun space to watch all the latest releases while adding considerable value to your home. And when you use sustainable lighting , you won’t have a big energy bill to pay either. Here are some tips for lighting your home theatre the right way, from accredited installers of LED lightbulbs under the Victorian Energy Upgrades program . Dimmable LED Lightbulbs   Dimmable lighting is a must-have home theatre fixture, allowing you to fine-tune your lighting to create the perfect ambiance and a true theatre experience. This is especially important if your home theatre doubles as an office, playroom, or lounge, enabling you to light it differently as your needs change.  Bias Lighting   This is the lighting installed behind a screen to help reduce eyestrain and make it easier for your eyes to adjust comfortably when switching between dark and light scenes in a movie or TV show.  LED lightbulbs, specifically strip ...

 When buying LED lightbulbs , you’ll see descriptive terms on the packaging that classify the light as warm or cool. But what does this mean? And what option is better? Here’s some insight from LED light installation specialists accredited under the Victorian Energy Upgrade Program .  Colour Temperature  It’s all about the concept of colour temperature. Essentially, warm lighting emits a light that is closer to natural lighting, ranging from a yellow to a reddish light. Cool lighting emits a more artificial lighting that is bluer in colour. To determine where the LED lightbulbs you are looking at fall on the scale, it’s important to ignore the description and focus on the Kelvin rating, which will be a number in the thousands followed by a (K) symbol. This scale measures lighting in numerical values, and while the word descriptions and labels on the LED lightbulbs will vary from manufacturer to manufacturer (they’re more like paint colour descriptions than exact, defined...

 It’s important not to forget outdoor spaces when it comes to great home lighting, as it not only makes your space more welcoming and useful in the evening hours, but also impacts home security. Here’s a rundown of outdoor lighting basics, from energy efficient lights to security, from accredited providers of free LED upgrades under the Victorian energy efficiency scheme .  Lighting for Home Safety  It’s important to make sure your home is safely accessible during low light hours by lighting pathways, driveways, signage (like your house number) and stairs. This will make your home easier to find as well as preventing painful falls and injuries caused by missteps in the dark.   Good ideas for outdoor safety lighting include individual step lights at stair level or flexible strip lighting on stairs (this prevents people from blocking out lighting to the stairs as they navigate them), and standalone lighting at critical points like home and driveway entrances....

Many people are currently working from home for the foreseeable future, and that means that home energy costs are going up. Here are some useful tips on how to reduce energy consumption , from installing eco friendly lights to improving natural lighting and more, from our team specialising in free LED upgrades . Smart Power Strips   Electrical devices, whether they are smartphone chargers, computers, tablets or kitchen appliances, draw electricity while plugged in – even when they are not in use. Smart power strips like those manufactured by Belkin, Samsung, iHome and others not only work in connection with smart devices like Alexa and Google home assistant, they also ensure tech devices don’t draw power when they aren’t in use.  Improve Natural Lighting   Improve your home office to take advantage of natural lighting during the day – it won’t just reduce your lighting bill, the increased sunshine will also help reduce heating needs, making it a great way to reduce energ...

LED lightbulbs are one of the greatest sustainable energy innovations of our time! Here are some interesting facts about LEDs from our team of specialists. We provide free LED upgrades to homes through the Victorian Energy Upgrade Program . Fact #1 – LED Lightbulbs are Technological Innovations  The LED is also known as a light-emitting diode, and the team of scientists who were behind the invention of these lightbulbs in the 1990s won the Nobel Prize in physics for their innovation. The bulbs are a type of solid-state lighting that utilises a semiconductor to convert electricity into light, technology that allows them to use 85% less energy than typical halogen bulbs. It’s this ability to provide great lighting using a fraction of the energy that has made them part of the Victorian Energy Upgrade Program.  Fact #2 – They’re Versatile  LED lightbulbs can be used in almost any lighting application, from residential lighting (task lighting, security ...

Making your home more eco-friendly helps you reduce energy consumption and save money on your monthly bills while you support the planet. A good place to start is with your home’s lighting by introducing eco-friendly lights . Here’s some great advice from accredited providers offering free upgrades to LED lightbulbs in the Melbourne area. Increase Natural Light   The most eco-friendly light source we can use to light our homes is the sun! By getting the most out of natural light, you minimize the need for artificial lighting and help reduce your energy consumption.   There are several ways you can help increase natural light in your home. You can paint rooms in lighter colors and use an eggshell rather than matte paint to reflect light, you can install skylights, solar tubes or additional windows, and you can cut back large trees and shrubs in your garden that black out the sun.  Invest in Smart Home Technology   Smart home technology...

One of the most popular and most effective ways of reducing energy consumption is through the installation of sustainable lighting in your home or business. LED lightbulbs are an effective and easy way to achieve this affordably, but in order to take advantage of the Victorian Energy Upgrades Program, you need to partner with an accredited provider for your LED upgrade . Here’s what you need to know.  What is the Victorian Energy Upgrades Program (VEU)?  This is a regional governmental program aimed to help residents and businesses in the State of Victoria to reduce their energy expenses and greenhouse gas emissions by making it easier and more affordable to upgrade to energy efficient products like LED lightbulbs.   The other side of this program is aimed at stimulating the renewable energy industry, helping to create jobs and competition in this market to ensure that consumers can buy world-class, local sustainable lighting and energy solutions. ...