Battle Of The Christmas Lights

The friendly competition between neighbours that takes places every Christmas over who has the most extravagant or beautiful Christmas lights can now officially begin, with the beginning of December underway. Many streets or areas enjoy the yearly battle over whose display is the most original or whose arrangement can attract the most visitors. Just last year, a documentary was broadcast on Channel 4 which followed the lives of a number of people who throw themselves wholeheartedly into the spirit of the season, showing the real motives behind the extravagant decorations and the highs and lows that the Christmas period brings them. This guide runs down some of the most extravagant home light displays from across the world, and examines exactly how they achieved the desired effects.

1. Gangnam Christmas

This year, a man in Texas, USA, has kitted out his entire house with over 25,000 LED Christmas lights which are timed to the beat of the South Korean hit, Gangnam Style. The display, which lasts for the entirety of the four-minute song, is timed to perfect and features rippling effects and blackouts, all with a classy blue and white theme. The man behind the display, John Storms, has told a radio station in Texas that due to the cost-effective nature of the LED light bulbs he has used, the entire display will cost just $15 to run for the entire month of December.

2. ‘Ditto!’

Across the country in Chicago, Illinois, an inventive homeowner thought outside the box in order to produce a brilliantly eye-catching display. Every year, Chet Cybulski is renowned in his neighbourhood for producing incredible Christmas light displays which draw visitors from all over the state, but his next-door neighbour, Dave Nosek is attracting all the plaudits for his original take on the tradition. Where Mr Cybulski has a display which takes a staggering five days to assemble, Mr Nosek simply wrote the word ‘DITTO’ in light above his garage, with an illuminated arrow pointing to his neighbour’s more impressive achievement.

3. Somerset Winter Wonderland

After being inspired by some incredible displays on a visit to the USA, Paul Toole from Somerset decided to create a similar winter wonderland in his own home as well as raising money for charity. With a total spend of £20,000 since he first started decorating his bungalow in 1998, Mr Toole calibrates his displays so that they flash in time to his own radio station and also gives any donates he receives to the Make A Wish Foundation. More than 50,000 LED Christmas lights are attuned to flicker on and off to the beat of a song, and the display has become so popular that his last switch-on was attended by 1,000 people, as well as Only Fools and Horses legend John Challis.

To find out more and order online, visit http://www.bltdirect.com

New Range of GU10 LED Bulbs from BLT Direct

BLT Direct, one of the country’s foremost providers of lighting solutions, has released an extensive new range of GU10 light bulbs, designed specifically to create perfect illumination levels in and around the home. The High Output LED GU10 light bulbs range from 4.5 watts to 6 watts and are considered to be the perfect replacement for their predecessors, the standard halogen GU10 bulb, which are increasingly being seen as unfavourable, old-fashioned and inefficient.. Available as single bulbs or within boxes of ten, these next-generation bulbs offer the highest levels of illumination with the lowest energy consumption and can be used in all domestic situations.

The LED GU10 light bulbs consist of three high-powered LED lights, all inside one frosted cover, creating an incredibly high level of illumination. The principal role of a GU10 LED light bulb is to save energy. Using a maximum of 6 watts per bulb, these bulbs far excel the credentials of their older counterparts, the halogen bulbs, which use around 50 watts of energy to create the same amount of, if not less, illumination. A 4.5 watt LED GU10 light bulb is proven to produce the same amount of light output as a 42-watt halogen GU10 bulb.  The direct comparisons between the two bulbs see savings of up to 90% on energy consumption, and the contrast is even more stark when this is converted into basic electricity costs per household; using average electricity rates and the standard life span of an LED GU10 bulb, it is calculated that one bulb can save a household around £135.00 in energy bills over the course of its life span. Their life span averages at around 30,000 hours per bulb, which, if used for around 6 hours per day, would last for more than 13 years in total.

Versatility is also among the advantages of these brand new bulbs. The two-pin base means that these bulbs are direct retrofit bulbs, and they will plug straight into the corresponding existing fittings already positioned around the home. They require no transformer or LED driver, and are ready to use from the word ‘go’. This makes them perfect for all existing fittings and fixtures around the home, be it in a bathroom or a study, a kitchen or a garage. The bulbs are available in two shades, Warm White and Daylight, both of which offer attractive, cosy illumination ideal for creating a warm and inviting domestic environment. A basic 4.5-watt High Output LED GU10 light bulb from BLT Direct starts at just £7.99, with boxes of 10 available for £74.99.

To find out more and order online, visit http://www.bltdirect.com

Coloured Light Bulbs For Any Setting

It is that time of year when homeowners up and down the country decide to spruce up their living space, whether through a traditional spring clean or through a few new interior finishing touches. Mood lighting is a great way to revamp a home and give a room a whole new atmosphere, and coloured light bulbs can contribute greatly to this. Cosy, inviting rooms such as the living room or bedroom would benefit from warm red or orange lights, whilst relaxing spaces such as a bathroom might acquire a heightened level of calm with the addition of some cool blue bulbs. BLT Direct is a UK provider of lighting solutions for all commercial and domestic uses, and has a huge selection of coloured light bulbs to choose from for those wishing to give their home a face-lift this Spring.

Incandescent bulbs are inexpensive and easy to acquire from BLT Direct, despite the fact that some wattages have been outlawed and are no longer manufactured. The coloured versions of these bulbs come in a huge range of styles and wattages, with colours for every occasion or atmosphere. The popular Edison Screw Cap (ES) and the Bayonet Cap (BC) are both available, meaning that these bulbs will fit practically every existing fitting or fixture, with no need for the customer to purchase a whole new appliance. The Coloured Incandescent Light Bulbs have a life span of approximately 1,000 hours, making them a cheap and simple way to update a living space or provide some accent lighting in a commercial setting.

Energy saving is high on everybody’s agenda right now, so BLT Direct’s range of Energy Saving Coloured Light Bulbs are a must. The bulbs are available in standard blue, green, yellow and red, and each bulb is estimated to save customers £49.20 over the course of its 5,000 hour life span. With both Bayonet Caps and Edison Screw Caps to choose from, the bulbs are ideal for seasonal displays and atmosphere lighting.

LEDs are much more powerful than standard halogen or incandescent bulbs, whilst also consuming much less energy. The super-efficient Coloured LED Bulbs available from BLT Direct are made up of a cluster of LEDs and are available in 10 different colours as well as a colour changing option for a more versatile display. Lasting for up to 50,000 hours, these environmentally-friendly bulbs are estimated to save customers £109.20 worth of energy consumption over the course of their life, and are perfect for placing a hard to reach place where a bulb won’t need to be changed or adjusted.

To find out more and order online, visit http://www.bltdirect.com