BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

LIGHT-EMITTING diode or LED lights have been slow to gain a foothold in Brunei, with customers discouraged by its higher prices compared to fluorescent lights.

Major supermarkets and department stores told The Brunei Times yesterday that customers still prefer the regular light bulbs because of its affordable prices.

A spokesperson from Utama Grand Superstore at The Mall, Gadong said price was the main factor in determining consumers’ choices when it came to purchasing lights.

At the store, a Philips-branded LED bulb was priced $17.99 while a regular bulb cost $5.59, said the spokesperson who did not want to be named.

Even though LED lights are expensive, they last longer and save energy, said the spokesperson.

“However, most customers still prefer to buy the regular lights because it is cheaper,” he added.

A staff from Sin Kew Hin Department Store said they do not sell LED lights because of its low demand.

“Currently, we don’t have stock for LED lights in our store,” she said, adding that the department store has never imported LED lights for the past 22 years in Brunei.

The stafff, who declined to be named said many customers are not aware of the benefits of LED lights.

A Jaya Hypermarket supervisor, who referred himself as Tarwin, agreed that most household owners are not aware of energy efficiency when using LED lights.

“Brunei has just started promoting the importance of energy-saving lights. We just need to give time for the public (to understand its benefits),” he said.

Tarwin, who has been working in Brunei for 14 years as an electrician, said customers should opt for LED lights because it consumes less energy.

“There are a number of customers who buy LED lights. Some customers said their electricity bill has gone down from about $50 a month to $35 a month (after using LED lights),” he said.

A customer at the department store, Hj Jaini Sulaiman, said he prefers to buy the regular light bulbs for outdoor lighting.

“I usually buy the regular light bulbs for my garage and outside my house. But my daughter always asks me to buy LED lights for her study lamp in her room. I don’t see the difference. Maybe I just don’t know the benefits,” said the senior citizen.

According to the US Energy Department, residential LEDs use at least 75 per cent less energy, and last 25 times longer than incandescent lighting.

The Brunei Times