LED vs Halogen vs Fluorescent: Which Lighting Is Right for Each Room?

Three lighting technologies, and for most jobs today the answer is simpler than it used to be, but it's worth understanding why, especially if you're replacing an older fitting.

Halogen: on its way out

Halogen bulbs work by heating a filament, much like older incandescent bulbs, just more efficiently. The UK banned the sale of most mainstream halogen household bulbs from September 2021, in line with wider energy efficiency regulations, so if you're replacing a halogen fitting today, an LED equivalent is generally the only sensible option new stock allows for anyway.

Fluorescent: also being phased out

Fluorescent tubes (the long T8/T5-style tubes common in offices, garages and older kitchens, and in a lot of warehouse lighting) work by passing current through mercury vapour, which is why recent UK and EU regulations have been phasing out the manufacture of most fluorescent tube types on environmental grounds, mercury content is the issue. If you've got fluorescent tube fittings anywhere in the house or workplace, replacement fittings are increasingly LED-only, and retrofit LED tubes are widely available to fit existing fixtures without a full rewire.

LED: the default now, for good reason

• Uses roughly 80-90% less energy than halogen for equivalent brightness.

• Typical lifespan of 15,000-50,000 hours, against roughly 1,000-2,000 for halogen.

• No warm-up time and negligible heat output, which matters for enclosed fittings and anywhere near soft furnishings.

• Available in a full range of colour temperatures (warm white through to daylight) so you're not stuck with the harsh blue-white of early LED bulbs.

Choosing colour temperature by room

Warm white (around 2700-3000K) suits living rooms and bedrooms; cool white (4000K) works well in kitchens and bathrooms where task lighting matters more; daylight (5000K+) suits garages, workshops and warehouse spaceswhere clarity matters more than atmosphere. See also our guide tocommercial LED lighting for drop ceilings if you're speccing an office fit-out.

We stock LED ranges across all of these from Kosnic, Bell, LEDVANCE, NVC and more, at trade prices with same-day delivery on stock lines. Bring the old fitting or its details into Stockport or Oldhamand we'll match it up, or browse our lighting rangeonline first.