Philips has released a 14W LED light bulb that provides a similar light output to the most popular highest wattage Philips incandescent bulbs, in a move that’s expected to further drive LED penetration in New Zealand.

While the new Philips 14W LED bulb draws only 14W of energy, it produces 1400 lumens – compared to 1180 lumens from a Philips Softone 100W incandescent bulb – in residential use making it the brightest Philips LED bulb for the home yet.

General Manager of Philips Lighting New Zealand Gordon Wiffen says this is a significant step towards LED growth in New Zealand for Philips.

“Philips’ innovation means its LED bulbs are now able to match the same or better light output as its incandescent bulbs that are most popular with New Zealand consumers at a good price point, making a more compelling case for switching to energy-efficient lighting.”

Though the Philips 14W LED bulb looks similar to a traditional Philips incandescent bulb, there are clear differences in terms of savings and environmental impact. These LED light bulbs provide up to 80% energy saving^[1], with an average lifetime of up to 15,000 hours in residential homes. They are also mercury-free and fit existing screw or bayonet cap light fittings.

LED sales in New Zealand are six times higher than one year ago^[2], as LED light bulbs become more widely available in supermarkets and DIY stores and consumers become more aware of the benefits of switching. Philips has helped drive this growth by launching two new ranges of Philips LED bulbs for the home in the past 18 months.

“With our 14W LED bulb now providing an energy-efficient alternative for the highest-selling Philips 75W and 100W incandescent bulbs, we expect the growth in uptake of LED by consumers to continue,” says Wiffen.

“Overall the global market is on a clear transition path from outdated incandescents to LED, and Philips conservatively expects 45% LED penetration in the market by as early as next year.”

The release of the Philips 14W LED bulb comes as Philips was placed 14^th in the 2014 Interbrand Top 50 Best Global Green Brands survey, due to its contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by creating quality energy efficient products and making Philips LED lights more affordable for consumers.

The Philips 14W LED bulb comes in Warm White in both Edison Screw and Bayonet Caps, and Cool Daylight in Edison Screw, and is available nationwide at PAK’nSAVE, New World, Countdown, Mitre 10 and Bunnings Stores for $24.95 (RRP including GST).

[1] Similar light output with less power consumption compared to Philips 100W Softone incandescent lamps.

2 From Aztec New Zealand grocery scan data, MAT (Moving Annual Total), September 2014.