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Half of Business Owners Don’t Believe Claims About LED Bulbs

OTTAWA, Ontario — Only about half of business owners actually believe manufacturers’ claims on LED bulbs, according to a new survey.

Leapfrog Lighting polled more than 200 business owners and managers, asking whether LED lighting product manufacturer claims on packaging match real-life performance. Only 14.3 percent found their own direct experience matched the claims, and another 35.3 percent believed the claims, bringing the total to 49.6 percent. The remaining respondents were not convinced, uncertain or found manufacturer claims only partially or inconsistently matched their experience.

“We’re even little surprised that 49.6 percent of business owners and managers believe manufacturer claims entirely,” said Stephen Naor, CEO of Leapfrog Lighting, in a statement. “I think this is an improvement over even a year ago. These findings show that business owners are not yet convinced by the claims.”

The survey revealed that higher standards are found in spec-quality bulbs, but most bulbs on the market are not spec-quality or Energy Star rated. Leapfrog says that products designed for economical consumer use may be holding back business-owner confidence.

In terms of the demographic findings, the survey showed age is a factor in responses, with younger (25 to 35 years old) respondents tending to believe claims. Only 20 percent of older (ages 55 to 64) respondents believed claims versus 65.7 percent of the young cohort.

Rural business owners also tended to be slightly less likely to respond positively to claims, with only 9.5 percent responding, “yes, in my direct experience” versus almost 20 percent for urban participants and close to 16 percent for those in suburban areas.

LED lighting standards continue to evolve, and currently include Energy Star qualification — which focuses on energy costs and other economic factors such as durability — and the standards of the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA), known as standard LM-79. There are also voluntary standards, including a notable one from the California, the Voluntary California Quality LED Lamp Specification.