Cheaper LED lights now a reality

Domestic lightbulbs that last up to 60 years and reduce energy use by 75% are now a reality after scientists unveiled a new way to produce a key ingredient, gallium nitride. gallium nitride, which is also used in bike lights, mobile phones and camera flashes, was previously grown on saphires, but now the man made substance can be grown on silicon slashing the cost of a household bulb from £20 to £2.  The bulbs have a life of 100,000 hours and developers believe that every house and office used the bulbs the proportion of electricuty in the UK uised for lighting would reduce from 20% of the total to 5%.