The number of lights in the home has leapt from just 15 light sources in 2004 to over 30 today as people add more spotlights, wall lights, pendants and lamps to their homes.
Homebase, which has produced the figures, says that owing to rapidly-shrinking living space people are choosing to accessorise their homes with decorative lighting which is both functional and fashionable, with trend-led lamps doubling up as ornaments.

Updating lighting is the most popular with renters, especially those who want to make their home their own but are unable to make more permanent changes by redecorating or even hanging pictures. Lighting is also a cost-effective way to reinvent a room and renters can take their lighting with them if they move to another property.

Homebase says textured ceramics will be strong this winter, while the trend for industrial-shaped lighting continues. However, this year industrial pendants are steering away from metallics and instead emerging more into copper tones, with increased introduction of wood and glass materials.

Traditional shapes are also popular, and there has been an increase in demand for pattern - florals, fauna, musical notes and even owls - on traditionally-shaped lampshades.

Lighting for this year is also very coordinated, with people matching their table lamps to their floor lamps or ceiling lighting, says Homebase.

With the clocks having gone back at the weekend, Homebase is now anticipating a burst in sales of both lighting and light bulbs. Says Homebase lighting buyer Pamela Collard: "We always see a sharp increase in the number of light fittings and bulbs we sell, and we're expecting to see the same pattern this year. Approximately 25 per cent of Homebase light bulb sales are made in the months of November and December, which equates to around an astonishing 55,400 light bulbs sold per day."