St Stephens Church, Tonbridge, saves thousands of pounds by switching to LED lightbulbs

LED lamps are highly energy efficient, using up to 90% less energy than traditional lighting sources. Following an Energy Audit with Parish Buying, St Stephens Church, Tonbridge, acted on the recommendation to switch all their lighting to LED. Within just 2 months they were able to save  one-third on their electricity bills.

During the previous year, three driving factors prompted the church to evaluate its energy consumption:

1. Firstly, the escalating energy costs necessitated a reduction in energy expenses to alleviate financial strain caused by the increased cost of living.
2. Secondly, the heightened utilisation of the church building, including activities under the Warm Space initiative, provision of refreshments, and hosting of a food bank, underscored the need for energy efficiency.
3. Thirdly, there was a strong desire to minimise the church's carbon footprint in alignment with environmental goals.

The decision was made to transition all lighting to LED bulbs as the initial step, despite initial concerns about compatibility with the existing dimmable lighting system. Beginning with a single bulb, the church found no noticeable issues with flickering or service disruptions during live streaming, prompting the replacement of all 62 "flood" lights with LED alternatives.

After thorough research, suitable replacement lights were sourced online from a lamp shop, which offered both the desired specifications and a bulk discount. The transition involved replacing 400-watt halogen lamps with 16-watt dimmable LED lamps at an approximate cost of £850. The replacement process, carried out by the caretaker and a church member, took approximately one day to complete. 

This transition occurred in November 2023, and since then, the church has diligently monitored its electricity usage. In the initial month following the transition, electricity consumption decreased by approximately one-third compared to the previous month. Consequently, the cost savings from reduced electricity consumption almost covered the expense of the lamps within the first month alone. Currently, the church is saving between £800-1000 per month in electricity costs, in addition to contributing to environmental conservation efforts by reducing its carbon footprint.