Low-energy lights will keep the lights on.

Lighting is becoming more energy efficient, first through compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) and now with light-emitting diodes (LEDs). The decline in overall UK electricity consumption is resulting in a drop in peak demand, as lighting is the largest constituent of this: the 3.7% annual decline in total electricity use for lighting is mirrored by a 3.7% drop in lighting’s contribution to peak demand. Lighting is the major contributor, therefore, to the drop in absolute peak demand: in 2012 it was 7% lower than in 2007. As European policy continues to require the phasing out of inefficient lights – halogens will be next – this downward consumption trend will continue, probably until 2025 or 2030. The reduction in peak demand is offsetting the phasing out of coal-fired plant and old nuclear stations. Hence, the risk of a gap is less, so the lights are more likely to stay on. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]