Electric fly control units are one of the most widely used and reliable devices for protecting food businesses from the nuisance and hygiene threats of flies and other winged insects.

LED alternatives to the traditional units are really starting to make their mark in the sector.

In this blog, we’ll take you through some of the reasons why businesses UK-wide are replacing traditional units with LED upgrades.

Introducing Electronic Fly Control units

Electronic fly control units emit ultraviolet light to attract insects which are electrocuted by the grid that sits in front of the bulbs or are caught on a sticky board behind the tubes.

They contain no toxic chemicals, so they are a safer option than other methods, such as pesticide-rich sprays and traps that can contaminate foodstuff and cause breathing difficulties for people with respiratory conditions.

However, traditional fly control units that use fluorescent bulbs are inefficient in all kinds of ways. Their various inefficiencies have led to the development of LED units, and the benefits of making the switch are compelling to say the least.

Low Energy, High Performance

LEDs require only 10% of the energy needed to power fluorescent bulbs. Not only does this means lower energy bills, but the lifespan of an LED bulb is up to 10 times longer.

Let’s look at an example to see what this means from a commercial point of view.

On average, a traditional fluorescent bulb unit consumes 66 watts of electricity per hour, so:

• 66w consumption per 24 hours = 1584 watts per day
• 1584 watts = 1.584 kilowatt hours (kw/h) per day
• 584 kw/h per day = 578.16 kw/h per annum

If a kilowatt-hour costs £0.34, a fluorescent unit will cost £197 per annum to run.

Let’s compare these numbers with an LED unit that consumes 13 watts of electricity per hour. 

• 13 watts consumption per 24 hours = 312 watts per day
• 312 watts = 0.312 kilowatt hours (kw/h) per day
• 312 kw/h per day = 113.88 kw/h per annum

With a kilowatt hour of £0.34, an LED EFCU will cost £39 per annum to run.

We recently calculated the annual cost of fluorescent bulbs against LEDs for one of our multisite clients:

Their current 460 fluorescent bulb units cost £197 per unit, per annum in electricity costs, which translates to a total of £90,620

That same organisation, with LED units at £39 per annum in electricity costs, would instead pay £17,940

That’s a saving of £72,320 per annum.

This isn’t a one-off saving – this is every year, forever! 

More Environmentally Friendly

As LEDs have a longer lifespan than fluorescent bulbs, they need replacing far less often. Coupled with their greater energy efficiency and absence of mercury phosphor or other toxic chemicals, LED Fly Control units result in lower electricity bills and fewer greenhouse gas emissions.

Not only does making the switch help reduce carbon footprints, but it also enhances credentials for organisations hoping to attain the recognised standard for Environmental Management Systems; ISO 14001.

More Durable, Convenient and Safe

Sometimes (more so with older units) the magnetic ballasts in fluorescent tube units produce a low-level and constant, and distracting humming noise. LED units, by contrast, are completely silent.

As LED bulbs use less power than fluorescent bulbs, they generate less than a fifth of the heat. This, in turn, reduces the risk of fire compared to traditional units and eliminates unwanted and unnecessary heat in working spaces that may be already sweltering.

Final Thought

Cheaper, safer, more durable, more energy efficient and better for the environment than legacy fluorescent fly control units, LED units are an obvious choice.

The units also kill flies quicker, maintain hygiene levels better than traditional fluorescent bulb units and can be quickly installed yourself without specialist knowledge required.

If you’d like to explore making a transition from fluorescent to LED, we are here to advise on the potential roll out process. Let’s chat.