If you haven't got these yet - do!

I agree - the CFL types that have been knocking around over the years are absolutely awful things, both in terms of light output and in terms of longevity; no way in hell will they last more than a couple of years in normal use. I also have to confess that I have had LED bulbs in the past (the TCP ones mentioned earlier being one of them) that were utter rubbish.

However, these latest LED ones are absolutely fantastic, giving a very white (think bright daylight) light, and the four of them in the bathroom are giving much more light than the halogens; the only thing I am not sure about is if they are suitable for dimmers - I am aware that some are, and some aren't; @al n - I am sure if you contacted the seller they would tell you for sure? I still have the boxes from my new ones lurking on the windowsill at the top of the stairs (the idea being that I will bring them down for recycling one of these times when I walk past ), so I'll see if its mentioned on the box.

My mission now is to convert whatever bulbs I can over to LED, and then I am toying with the idea of fitting four of the GU10 countersunk fittings into a sheet of MDF or ply, and then screw that up into the shed roof so I have nice bright light in the shed

EDIT - Here is a 10 pack of the ones I bought which work out at £5.99 a bulb

 

Checked the box mate, the ones I have are not dimmable. Digging about on Amazon, it seems that the dimmable ones are a bit hit and miss, so you will have to choose carefully.

Might be worth still emailing Long Life Lamps to see if they have an alternative?

 

@al n - are your MR16's the 12v ones?

 

Re the heating controller:-
I've had the Horstman for years and it works very well. It has so many combinations of days and hours you can set it to come on (or go off) for both the heating and water.
I also have individual radiator thermostats and a main thermostat controller. Between them it allows you to control the whole system and individual rooms.

 

Its the main thermostat that I am missing Shiney, and thanks to the way the system has been installed, all the wiring and the controller is in an airing cupboard in the back bedroom, hence thinking about going for the wireless one.

 

In which case, I think you need a dimmable 12v LED driver to replace the one(s) you currently have. Much as I hate fleabay, but something like this

Whether you need one for each light or not, I am not sure - suppose that will depend on how many lights you have, their individual wattage and how they are wired.