Street Lamp Bulbs

Street lamp bulbs are replacement light sources for street light columns and lamp post fittings, covering legacy high-pressure sodium, metal halide, and compact fluorescent sources as well as modern LED retrofit options. Browse alongside street light accessories for column brackets and hardware, or the full street lighting range for complete lantern replacements.

LED retrofits and legacy source options

Street lamp bulb replacement is a straightforward maintenance task for existing street light columns where the lantern head is retained and only the lamp source is changed. This approach is common in local authority and estate management maintenance programmes where lantern replacement is not budgeted but improving energy efficiency or addressing lamp failures is required.

The dominant legacy source in UK street lighting is high-pressure sodium (SON), producing its characteristic amber-orange light from E27, E40, or PGZ18 cap fittings at wattages from 35W to 400W. LED retrofit bulbs in these cap sizes are available and deliver white light (3000–4000K) at equivalent or better lumen output from 30–50% of the SON wattage. The colour rendering improvement, from SON's CRI of ~25 to LED's 70+ CRI, is significant for pedestrian safety and visibility.

Metal halide (CDM or HPI) sources in E27 or E40 caps are also widely used in decorative lamp post fittings and can be retrofitted with LED equivalents. For complete lantern replacement rather than lamp-only retrofit, see public street lights and residential street lights. Lyco offers free delivery on all orders over £70.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I replace a sodium street lamp with an LED bulb?

Yes, LED retrofit bulbs are available in E27, E40, and PGZ18 cap fittings to replace high-pressure sodium (SON) sources. The LED replacement must be compatible with the lantern's control gear. For lanterns with electromagnetic ballasts, check whether the LED retrofit requires the ballast to be bypassed or retained; this varies by product and determines the complexity of the swap.

What cap fitting do streetlamp bulbs use?

The most common cap fittings in UK street lighting are E40 (Goliath Edison screw) for higher-wattage main road lanterns, E27 (standard Edison screw) for smaller decorative lamp post fittings, and PGZ18 for white SON-T sources. PGZ18 LED retrofits are available but less common than E27 and E40 options.

What colour temperature are LED street lamp bulbs?

LED street lamp bulbs are typically available in 3000K (warm white), 4000K (neutral white), and 5000K (cool white). For residential roads and pedestrian areas, 3000K is widely specified to minimise blue-light impact on residents and wildlife. For higher-traffic roads and car parks where visibility is the priority, 4000K is more common.

Do LED street lamp bulbs work with existing ballasts?

It depends on the specific LED retrofit product. Some LED street lamp bulbs are designed to work with the existing electromagnetic or electronic ballast in the lantern ("ballast compatible"). Others require the ballast to be bypassed, with the LED driver operating directly from the mains supply. Check the product specification carefully and confirm the installation method required.

Do you sell street lamp bulbs near me?

Lyco delivers street lamp bulbs to all UK mainland addresses with next-working-day delivery as standard. Orders over £70 qualify for free delivery, and same-day dispatch applies to the vast majority of in-stock products across the range.