Kitchen Lighting

Kitchens require relatively high-level, diffuse lighting to eliminate shadows for food preparation tasks. Both fluorescent and halogen lights are appropriate for kitchen lighting and if you use a warm appearing fluorescent bulb (often labeled “warm white” – look for “2700K” or “3000K” on the packaging), the effect in your kitchen will match the other joining spaces in your home.

Task based and general kitchen lighting

For most pendants or surface-mounted light fittings in the kitchen that currently use standard incandescent light bulbs, replacing these with appropriate CFL bulbs of equivalent light output should enable you to maintain the light level and mood while reducing the room’s energy use by 80%.

Alternatively, new generation halogen bulbs look like a clear incandescent bulbs and are still 30% more efficient than standard incandescent bulbs, last twice as long as a standard bulb and can be used on a dimmer circuit (to use a CFL on a dimmer circuit, a special dimmable version is required and this should be clearly labeled on the packaging).

If the bulbs are visible and the appearance of a standard CFL bulb is an issue, a new generation halogen bulb or one of the wide range of covered and decorative CFLs may suit the look you are after.

If you have standard incandescent light bulbs that are recessed into your kitchen ceiling, before replacing it with an energy efficient bulb you need to establish whether the fitting has a built in reflector or is designed instead to work with a reflector bulb (do not assume the existing bulb inside the fitting is correct). If the fitting has a built-in reflector (a mirrored or reflective surface within the fitting), a new generation halogen bulb the same shape as a standard incandescent is likely to be most appropriate. If a reflector bulb is required, there are a range of CFL and energy efficient halogen replacement options that can reduce your energy bills.

For halogen spotlights, high efficiency IRC (infra-red coated) versions are available for that use 30% less energy and last two and a half times as long as the standard lights. Alternatively, there are recessed CFL down lights available that come complete with light fitting and use less than half the electricity than the most efficient halogen spotlights. These lights are designed for general room lighting and are not designed for spot lighting applications or to replace lights that are on a dimmer circuit. Fitting CFL down lights is not a simple bulb replacement and a qualified electrician is required. All of the following bulbs can be easily dimmed and this is recommended as it saves more energy, increases the bulb’s life and enables you to alter the mood of the space if required.