There are many question marks over some technical terms for energy consumption, most of the time we aren’t really too sure about what each ‘term’ means. Your electricity bills are the most complex piece of information and useless to most people, we all understand what we owe sadly but never quite understand how you got there. Well Absolute Property Services wanted to explain and make things seem simpler; everyone wants a simpler life….
What is a Watt??
A watt is a measure of power consumption. The wattage of a bulb actually tells you how much electricity it uses, not how much light is produces. Traditionally lamps have always used watts as an indication of the light that can be expected from the bulb. However, the new technology and more efficient lamps, watts are becoming increasingly irrelevant and eventually all lamps will be measured in lumens.
What is a Lumen??
Lumens are a measure of light. Typically one lumen is equivalent to the light emanating from a wax candle. A conventional 40 watt light bulb would have a lumen output of around 450lm.A CFL (Compact Fluorescent Lamp) with the same lumen output would only use approximately 9 watts and an LED considerably less depending on the type. As a general guide the efficiency of an incandescent lamp is 10-12 lum/w, a compact fluorescent is around 50-60 lum/w and a LED can vary from 40-90 lum/w. Remember: the higher the lumens the brighter the lamp.
What does voltage mean??
Voltage is the pressure within the circuit that’s generated by the electricity company from the national grid. Different countries use different voltages according to their infrastructure system, it’s generally referred to as the electrical potential.
In the UK the current used is typically 240 volts, in America 120 volts and in most of Europe and the Far East the current is typically 220 volts.
In general different plug sockets are used to ensure people use the correct equipment relevant to their local current.
A good analogy is to imagine the pressure behind the flow of electrons in a circuit similar to water pressure in a hose.
Hopefully this will have helped you understand and divulge any information for you. Absolute have partnered up with LED energy saving bulb providers, and our main aim working together is to provide you with honest, ground breaking low cost lighting solutions to people with real homes that want to save money and save the environment.
Call now for more information 01733 375900 or email sales@absoltuepsg.co.uk