RANGE REVIEW: LIGHTING & ELECTRICAL


GETTING SMART WITH ENERGY EFFICIENT LIGHTING SALES


With energy prices at an all-time high and their impact dominating the headlines, Rachel Morris, Marketing Manager at 4lite, explores the many varieties of energy efficient lighting products available and how DIY retailers should best approach their sale.


prices continue to be a huge cause of concern for consumers and businesses across the board. With bills almost doubling, and in some cases increasing by an eye- watering 300%, the energy crisis is having a very real effect on life in Britain and unsurprisingly, is driving the market for more energy efficient goods. Accounting for around 15% of all


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energy use in a domestic setting, and up to 40% in commercial buildings, lighting is one area in which real savings on energy can be made and ever more savvy consumers are becoming more and more tuned into this. Representing a substantial opportunity for retailers to grow sales and maximise revenue potential, many stores are increasing their offering and expanding the lighting ranges and smart lighting products they stock to satisfy ever growing demand. With continual advances in technology and new product launches, knowing which products deliver the best results and how to sell them can be difficult. There is a huge range of products available, fulfilling every possible lighting requirement but key ranges retailers should consider include:


LED bulbs


Whilst not a new product to market, LED bulbs are highly energy efficient, using around 80% less energy than traditional alternatives and are the obvious starting place for consumers seeking to make a money saving switch. To put this into context, our


research has shown that switching to LEDs from incandescent bulbs could save consumers as much as £61 a year for every bulb in their home – even based on reduced unit prices brought in by the Government’s Energy Price Guarantee. Based on ten bulbs around the home, this


20 DIY WEEK NOVEMBER 2022


espite government support from the Energy Bills Support Scheme and Energy Price Guarantee, rising electricity


options. Commonly used in commercial and public building, more and more consumers are also seeing the benefits of the technology and opting to install them in their homes. With the Carbon Trust estimating that their use can cut energy consumption by up to 40%, it is easy to see why.


Given the huge benefits and cost savings energy efficient lighting has to offer, it is easy to assume that very little effort is needed to sell such products but as understanding of the technology and how to operate it is still fairly unknown, retailers seeking to maximise sales do need to invest resource into educating customers.


equates to a staggering saving of £611 a year of electricity. With the savings speaking for themselves, LED bulbs are a clear and obvious choice for customers and an important revenue stream for retailers.


Smart light bulbs Taking the energy efficiency of LED bulbs one step further, smart light bulbs are powerful LED lights that also incorporate smart technology. Enhancing the potential savings of regular LED’s, smart light bulbs offer further cost saving benefits thanks to their connectivity. They can be installed in existing lamps and light fittings and linked together to form a fully automated and controllable lighting system where energy-using factors such as operation time, brightness, intensity and colour temperature can all be highly tuned.


Smart lighting system A well designed and operated smart lighting system can reduce energy use by up to two-thirds. Enabling every single detail of lighting to be programmed and automated, they ensure that energy is used only where and when it is needed. Giving consumers optimum control over their lighting, smart


systems enable luminaires to be linked together to create different scenes, groups and schedules, setting time of operation and dictating elements such as colour and brightness – all of which have an impact on energy use and can directly influence expenditure. Interoperability is also a key factor for end users of smart lighting so retailers should ensure that the ranges they offer to customers work across a selection of eco systems such as Google, Alexa and Siri.


Smart plugs


Ideal for floor and table lamps – and other electrical items - smart plugs give connectivity to anything that is plugged into them, enabling traditional fittings to be linked together, automated and controlled in the same way as a fully integrated smart lighting system. This automation helps to remove the reliance on human intervention, meaning forgetting to switch the lights off is a thing of the past and ensuring money is only spent on energy where and when it is needed.


Automation sensors Motion sensors and presence and absence detection lighting are also great energy efficient lighting


For example, research has told us that many consumers are intimidated by smart lighting and feel you have to be highly tech- savvy to install and operate it. Intuitive apps and seamless pairing means it is actually extremely straightforward and needs to be communicated effectively during the sales process. This is where demonstration


proves an invaluable tool and will allow customers to see the true value of the technology and its many benefits. Where possible, retailers should have a smart lighting installation in store, showcasing the functionality and capabilities of the technology, fuelling understanding and awareness. It doesn’t have to be extensive, this can be done by simply installing a smart lamp in a ceiling pendant and connecting it to an app on a customer’s phone or by placing it on demo mode.


Retailers should also take advantage of the resources and support brands such as ourselves provide. Training sessions and step by step set up videos, as well as point of sale displays to help merchandise energy efficient products are all available and can be used to enhance knowledge and awareness. We also have great customer service, technical and lighting design teams who are more than happy to help support both retailers and customers alike.


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