Why Efficiency Matters More Than Price
Energy savings don't stay flat - they grow every year as electricity prices rise. Using a conservative 3% annual inflation rate (the UK historical average is 3.8%, so we're being cautious), your Year 1 savings of £0 grow to £0 over 10 years and £0 over 30 years.
This is the compounding effect. And it's why the efficiency percentage in any LED proposal matters far more than the headline price.
The Multiplier Effect
Every £1 saved in Year 1 grows to significantly more over the fixture lifetime:
| If you save £1 in Year 1... | At 3% inflation | At 3.8% inflation |
|---|---|---|
| By Year 10 | £1.34 | £1.45 |
| By Year 20 | £1.81 | £2.10 |
| By Year 30 | £2.43 | £3.07 |
Every 1% of efficiency you gain today is amplified 30 times over the fixture lifetime.
Every Month of Delay Has a Price
While you're evaluating options, your current lighting continues consuming £0 per month more than it needs to. That's £0 per year in avoidable costs.
⚠️ The Regulatory Reality
Since 2023, fluorescent tubes can no longer be manufactured or imported into the UK under RoHS regulations. Existing stocks are finite and diminishing. As supply tightens, replacement tube prices are rising - and will continue to rise. Maintaining your current lighting isn't just inefficient; it's becoming progressively more expensive.
Here's the reality most proposals don't mention: your existing lighting will need replacing regardless. It's no longer a question of "if" but "when" - and the economics of waiting are getting worse, not better.
The upgrade cost is coming whether you act now or in two years - that figure doesn't change. What changes is how much of that cost your energy savings help offset, and how much you'll spend on increasingly scarce fluorescent tubes in the meantime.
⏱️ The True Cost of Waiting 1 Year
Delaying doesn't just cost you one year of savings — it permanently shrinks your total lifetime benefit. That first year's savings, if captured now, would compound with rising energy prices over the fixture lifetime:
💡 These figures show how much less your total lifetime benefit will be if you wait 1 year to start the project. The savings you miss in Year 1 can never be recovered, and their compounding value is lost forever.
The question isn't "can we afford to upgrade?" It's "can we afford to keep paying twice - once in wasted energy and rising maintenance costs, and again when we inevitably have to replace anyway?"
The Bottom Line
Over 30 years, this project delivers £0 in net value to your school. That's not a projection based on best-case assumptions - it's built on conservative 3% inflation (below the 3.8% historical average) and your actual usage patterns.
Every LED proposal deserves scrutiny. But the question isn't "which quote is cheapest?" It's "which delivers the most value over the next 30 years?" The efficiency percentage tells you more about that than any other number on the page.