LIFX, maker of top-quality smart home lighting, has partnered with the National Grid to support the Green Light Signal.
The scheme allows the smart light to glow green when the electricity powering your home is coming from renewable energy sources such as wind and solar.
The idea is that, when you see the Green Light Signal, you can use electrical appliances in the knowledge that you’re doing your bit for the planet, and not using them (or as many of them) when the light is off and therefore the energy source is from higher-carbon sources such as fossil fuels.
In order to see this green light, you need a LIFX colour bulb. And that’s why the company is offering the discount, which runs until 30 June 2021.
Normally the Mini Colour costs £44.99, but with this deal you can get it for £29.99. Buy four (or more) and you’ll save another £5 per bulb, making them £24.99 each.
This deal is available from LIFX direct, but you can also find it at Amazon where – at the time of writing – it was Deal of the Day at £24.99.
The information on whether the electricity is green or not comes from a forecasting tool that uses machine learning to predict ahead of time what the source of the energy will be when it arrives in your home.
The data is made available via an IFTTT (If This Then That) applet. Once you’ve set up the Green Light Signal applet in the IFTTT app and connected it to your LIFX account, the bulb will then know when to shine green.
Of course, being a Mini Colour bulb, you can also change it to whatever colour you want using the LIFX app, Alexa or the Google Assistant. It can also work like a traditional white bulb, and can be set to the exact shade you want, from cool, daylight whites to warm, cosy evening glows. And it’s available in bayonet and E27 fittings.
Martin Carroll, Director of LIFX UK Limited said, “We’re thrilled to be a part of this new Green Light Signal scheme with National Grid. Efforts to move to cleaner energy sources are being seen across the country, but sometimes action for an individual isn’t as simple. Not only does the Green Light Signal Scheme make it easy and accessible for consumers to make smarter energy choices, but it’s a way for people to feel they are participating in the energy transition and are a part of bigger change.”
John Pettigrew, Chief Executive of National Grid, said: “Climate change is the biggest crisis humanity faces. As a Principal Partner of COP26, we want to give people hope by making them aware of the transformational changes taking place in the energy sector as we move towards a clean energy future. Great Britain’s energy system hit a new green record earlier this month with almost 80% of electricity coming from zero carbon sources, and in the last seven years we have cut carbon emissions from the electricity system by 66%.
We know there is still lots to do, but by showing people the progress that’s been made and bringing them together to better understand energy consumption with tools like the Green Light Signal, collectively we can make a real and significant impact in the fight against climate change.”
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Author: Jim Martin, Executive Editor
Jim has been testing and reviewing products for over 20 years. His main beats include VPN services and antivirus. He also covers smart home tech, mesh Wi-Fi and electric bikes.