You probably know that LEDs are efficient, long-lasting, bright, and even affordable. But do you have a grasp on exactly how much money you can save by switching to LED lighting?
Let’s compare a 9-watt LED to a 60-watt incandescent light bulb:
Assuming the cost of electricity is $0.10/kWh, the incandescent light bulb will cost you $300 in electricity over 50,000 hours. The LED will cost you $45. That amounts to $255 in savings for every 50,000 hours of use.
Is the 9-watt LED as bright or cast its light as far as the 60-watt bulb? Even if you needed 3 there still seems to be a significant energy savings.
Ann, it depends on the 9-watt LED. You’re right though, even if you need more than one, the energy savings are so significant that it still makes a huge difference! The key to finding an LED that’s just as bright is to check the lumen output. 60 watt incandescent light bulbs emit about 800 lumens of light. (See this chart for more lumen ratings.) Philips now has their L Prize-winning LED on the market – that one consumes just 10 watts and does deliver the same amount of light output as a 60 watt incandescent. The L Prize winner was chosen by the U.S. Department of Energy, so you can be sure that LED will live up to its product claims! Again, the best thing to check for is lumen output. Hope this helps!
That’s an excellent reply and some useful information there, any idea on how much a L Prize-winning LED will cost? Guessing it’ll be fairly expensive to begin with but if they could juggle the price vs the money saved they should be onto a winner.
Richard,
The EnduraLED (L Prize winner) retails for about $40. It’s already on the market – here it is at Home Depot.