In today’s evolving work landscape, more employees than ever are working from home. While flexible work arrangements offer numerous benefits, there’s an overlooked factor impacting productivity—poor natural lighting. Eurocell’s latest analysis of UK industries reveals a staggering £61.2 billion in lost productivity annually across the UK due to insufficient exposure to daylight.
Why is natural light important for productivity?
Multiple studies have shown that natural light significantly impacts workplace performance, both in an office environment and at home. Today, many workplaces are built and structured with productivity in mind, featuring large windows, adjustable lighting and ergonomic workspaces. Home offices can often fall short in comparison.
With many workers setting up their home office in dimly lit rooms or in cramped spare bedrooms, productivity can quickly decline.
Poor lighting conditions can contribute to fatigue, reduced focus, and even higher levels of stress. According to research, productivity can decline by up to 15% in environments lacking adequate daylight exposure. With a substantial portion of the UK workforce now working from home, the financial impact of suboptimal lighting is too big to ignore.
Which industries are most affected?
By analysing Gross Value Added (GVA)—the measure of productivity within industries—alongside work-from-home statistics and lighting impact data, we can estimate the financial losses attributed to poor lighting per sector:
According to the research, the real estate industry loses the most productivity due to poor natural light. Workers in this industry generate significant economic output per capita, meaning that any decline in productivity, such as that caused by poor lighting, could translate into substantial financial losses. In this case, the cost of that loss could be upwards of £11.5 billion.
Additionally, 28.9% of real estate professionals now primarily work from home, including agents, consultants and property managers. This figure is likely to increase in the future as high street pressures continue to impact the real estate industry. More than 5,000 real estate agent branches closed in 2023 alone.
Unsurprisingly, the information and communication industry (£8.2 billion) also ranks highly in the research, alongside professional, scientific and technical activities (£7.7 billion). These industries are heavily reliant on knowledge-based work, demanding high levels of cognitive engagement. Poor lighting here can significantly impact productivity, and the relatively high levels of employees primarily working from home helps to compound the issue.
The construction industry also ranks highly in the research, which might be surprising at first glance. The reality is that while many thousands of workers in construction are out in the field, a significant portion of its workforce - including architects, planners, and project managers - works remotely. The estimated productivity loss for the construction industry stands at around £6 billion annually.
Nationally, over £61 billion is lost due to poor lighting annually, and that’s just from remote workers or those who work from home for most of the week. Across the UK, there are still millions of people working in office environments that aren’t up to modern productivity standards.
What can employers and home workers do to increase productivity?
There are a number of things employers can do to help encourage employees to increase their natural light intake and, in turn, boost productivity.
1. Maximise natural light exposure
Employers, in the first instance, should encourage employees to move their workspaces near windows and avoid dark corners. Even small adjustments in desk placement can improve concentration and reduce eye strain. Eye strain is one of the most common symptoms of poor lighting, and it can lead to serious medical complications if left untreated.
2. Invest in larger windows or roof lanterns
Home improvements such as larger windows or roof lanterns can significantly enhance the amount of natural light that enters your home. Roof lanterns are an excellent way to increase the amount of natural light entering a home, particularly in rooms where traditional windows are limited.
Unlike traditional skylights, roof lanterns allow light to flood into a room from multiple angles and are a particularly popular choice for single-storey extensions, kitchens and open-plan living spaces.
3. Use smart lighting to boost natural light
Sometimes, it just isn’t possible to increase the amount of natural light coming into a roof. In this case, daylight-mimicking LED lights can help. These provide a more natural colour temperature, reducing fatigue and enhancing alertness. Today, many smart bulbs come with a setting that mimics natural daylight, slowly changing throughout the workday to reflect outdoor conditions.
Commenting on the research, Helen Godsiff, brand manager at Eurocell, said: “We all know that lighting plays an important role in how productive we are at work, but it’s shocking to see the scale of lost productivity if we aren’t working in good lighting conditions.
“As more people work remotely, it’s crucial to consider how we design our home offices with natural light in mind. Simple changes, like incorporating roof lanterns or larger windows, can make a significant difference - not just for productivity but for overall wellbeing.”
Conclusion
Poor lighting is no longer just a minor inconvenience. It affects employee wellbeing, first and foremost, but we can now see that it’s having a major impact on industries across the UK, costing billions of pounds in lost productivity. Businesses that invest in better lighting solutions, whether in the office or through home-working incentives, can gain a competitive edge.
If you think you’re less productive working at home or in a dimly lit office, perhaps it's time to think about how best to illuminate your space.
Methodology
Eurocell analysed UK GVA (Gross Value Added) data for each major UK industry sector while using workforce statistics to identify the percentage of employees working remotely within each industry.
Studies suggest that poor natural lighting can have up to a 15% impact on productivity, so this figure was applied to the number of home workers’ contributions to GVA. From this, Eurocell multiplied the number of home workers by their average GVA per employee to understand the financial losses per industry.
Data correct as of March 2025.