Scientists at the University of Cambridge may have created a new eco-friendly light bulb that aims to cut household lighting bills by as much as 75%. 

The project, which is being led by Colin Humphreys, focuses on using LEDs, a technology which is already commonly in use, to reduce household and office lighting usage. While the technology can already be found in streetlamps, cameras and even Christmas decorations, until recently it has been considered too expensive to be used in housing lighting. 

Now Humphrey’s research has found a way to produce the LED technology at a tenth of the normal cost, as well as a means of increasing the strength of the bright white light, making it ideal for indoor lighting systems. 

Thanks to the new manufacturing technique scientists hope the technology will soon be widely available on shop shelves from as little as £2 per bulb. Although a timescale has not been confirmed, experts predict it will take between 2 and 5 years before the technology becomes widely available within the UK. 

Although the cost benefit of the bulbs is evident, one overlooked beneficial area is the benefits the bulbs will bring to our impact on the environment. Research suggests the bulbs could last as long as 60 years and, since they contain no mercury, have a much smaller impact on the environment. Combine this with the reduction of energy usage needed to light a house or office and the eco-benefits of this project become very strong.  

If UK homes replaced their current bulbs with this new technology, the proportion of electricity used for lighting would fall from 20% to 5% – taking a major strain off energy resources, and even allowing up to eight power stations to be shut down. 

Although the technology won’t be available within the next couple of years, the financial benefits of the bulbs mean the uptake is likely to be very quick. This quick uptake will allow the UK to quickly tackle its environmental obligations, and take pressure off of our already stretched energy resources.