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Welcome to the web's most up to date resource with the latest and best choice of low energy down lights and related products!
Here you will find information on the choices available to you and regulations that you must follow when you are installing lighting into new homes etc.
There are lots of downlight fittings available on the internet and we have set up this site to help you understand the options available to you if you are looking into buying some low energy lighting..
Remember to check any regulations that you must follow when installing new lights. There are electrical regulations and building regulations that apply, especially if you are installing lighting into a kitchen or bathroom, or installing lighting into a brand new house or building.
 Use the menu on the top left of the page to browse information about the most popular downlights available today.
Here are some useful articles from My Green Lighting cover the regulations in more detail:
Low Energy Downlighters
Different types of downlights
There are 3 main types of downlight product that you should consider, each with it's own advantages and disadvantages:
Low voltage downlights
Low voltage downlights run at 12 volts rather than mains voltage of 230v. This introduces the first problem - to reduce the voltage you need a transformer. Installing a transformer is an extra piece of equipment that could fail and might introduce unnecessary cost. You must also make sure that the transformer you use is capable of running the number of lights you wish to install. You have to match up the wattages, e.g. if you want to install 9 x 50w bulbs, you will need a transformer capable of running 450 watts. Or 2 transformers with at least 225 watts each.
Most modern low voltage lighting transformers are suitable for use with dimmer switches, but it's worth checking that your choice of switch and transformer are going to work together before you get started.
12v spot light bulbs used in downlights are generally MR16 bulbs. (Also known as GU5.3 bulbs) These are spot bulbs with two straight pins on them 5.3mm apart. They are available in a wide range of brands, wattages and beam angles.
The energy saving bulb replacement options for MR16 bulbs are a bit limited. LED bulbs are available, but the level of light produced is no comparison to standard halogen bulbs. The best option at the moment is special energy saving IRC 12v Halogen bulbs which use a special coating inside the bulb to produce more light for less power.
Mains voltage halogen downlights
Main voltage downlights use GU10 bulbs (the twist and lock type) are generally cheap to buy and easy to install as they don't need additional transformers etc.
There are a variety of energy saving GU10 bulb replacement options available. LED bulbs, like MR16 LED bulbs are usually either not bright enough for general lighting purposes, or very, very expensive. Be careful of buying GU10 LED bulbs that make great claims to their brightness, if the price is under £20 each!
Compact fluorescent GU10 bulbs are a much better choice then LED. They produce a lot more light and don't use that much more power than an LED while using up to 95% less power than regular halogen bulbs. It can be a little complicated as not all low energy GU10 bulbs are equal.
Most low energy GU10 bulbs are considerably longer than a halogen GU10, which means that they might stick out of the front of your light fittings. This depends on the design of your fittings - some have a floating lamp holder which will accommodate a longer bulb.
Small low energy GU10 bulbs are available that are the same size as halogen bulbs. This means they will fit in just about any light fitting that uses GU10 bulbs. The only downside to the small low energy bulbs is that they are not as bright as a regular halogen bulb. The 7w GU10 bulbs that we stock are approximately as bright as 30w of halogen light.
Dedicated low energy downlights
Dedicated low energy downlights are the most efficient downlight option that will actually produce enough light to light a room with without costing a fortune to buy in the first place. They use compact fluorescent bulbs which produce a lot of light, and also have a very wide beam angle. This means you save money on your electricity bill, and get a better spread of light in your room.
The most recent models of downlights use new T2 technology to overcome the traditional problems associated with low energy bulbs, such as low light output and slow warm up times.
Installing a dedicated low energy downlight ensures that the bulbs will fit correctly, as the fitting has been designed to use low energy bulbs, rather then being a retro fit option. Fittings that will only accept low energy bulbs will also meet Part L of the current building regulations, unlike a regular GU10 downlight which could be fitted with a 'high energy' halogen bulb.
My Green Lighting stocks the Rio T2 range, which really is the best efficient downlight products we have ever seen. It has practically no warm up time (instantly starts at about 85% and reaches 100% in just a few seconds), and produces approximately the same amount of light as a regular 50w halogen light, even though it only uses 10w of power.
While other brands and models of low energy downlight are available sometimes at a lower price, none of them come close the Rio T2 range of downlights when it comes to efficiency, light output, or most importantly warm up times.
This site is sponsored by UK low energy lighting supplier My Green Lighting. If you would like to link exchange with us, please contact us from the menu on the left.
www.MyGreenLighting.co.uk is a trusted online supplier of low energy lighting products to the UK public. They offer fast delivery - most UK orders arrive the next working day, and they have a great range of the latest designs of low energy down lights at very reasonable prices!
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