Are LED lights a smart buy?
As for your deeply seeded father issues, you may want a therapist for that, but we can definitely help with one smart, proven way to save energy. LED lights have been around for awhile, but it hasn’t been until recently that they finally came down in cost rendering them both cost effective and stunningly cheap.
THE LED WAY TO SAVE ENERGY
- What if I told you that you could reduce a common household chore to once every 20 years? Would you be interested in hearing more? Yes. The answer is yes, you would be.
Whether it’s a simple initial case of sticker shock or possibly an undying love for Thomas Edison, the American public has largely chosen not to adopt LED light bulbs over the less efficient incandescent bulb. Yes, it is less expensive in the short term to buy incandescent lights, but a study of the lifetime costs of incandescent, CFL, and LED light bulbs reveals a clear winner after ten years. Yes, ten years is a long time, but consider this:
REAL COST OVER 10 YEARS
(Real costs of purchasing, using (and replacing) all three types of light bulbs over a ten year period)
LED
CFL
Incandescent
(source: http://greenlivingideas.com/2015/02/19/the-true-cost-of-light-bulbs-led-cfl-incandescent/).
No matter how you spin it, switching your entire home to LED lights is long-term smart and very energy efficient. Now only if you could find a way to take out the trash once every 20 years.
MICHAEL MURPHY
4Change Energy Michael is earning a Master’s Degree in Graphic Design from Savannah College of Art and Design. When he isn’t working on 4Change Energy design projects, Michael can be found jogging the countless biking and running trails around the Dallas area.
LED lighting is not lasting nearly 20 years. I have had blubs go out in less than a year and few seem to last more than three years.
Thanks for the comment Benny! I heard similar things from others. Cree bulbs (starting at $10/each) are reported to have a 22+ year life span with average use. The basic $10 60W LED bulb has a 3.8 star rating with 981 reviews on HomeDepot.com.
Here’s a good article on the best LED bulbs: http://www.digitaltrends.com/home/best-led-lighbulbs/
So far I have been very happy with my switch to LEDs. I was never a fan of compact fluorescents, and those bulbs seemed to always go out long before their time, but so far the inexpensive LEDs I have bought from Home Depot have been great. The price has dropped significantly–I have bought them for as little as $2/bulb. The color and brightness have also greatly improved over the years. I think we will see LEDs basically take over permanently.
Thanks for your input Kevin! I agree with you that the LED cost and light quality seems to be improving every year. Enough so, that I agree with you, they will naturally take over the market in the next decade.
Yes they may last longer but not ten times as long. They also don’t like enclosures, the heat eats them up. Found a good use for the small ones in chandeliers. You can use less bulbs for the same light.
I understand the savings over an extended length of time; however, when one will be in a home for only a year or two and on a limited budget, the expense may not be justified. Of course, the environmental savings is worthwhile.
Thanks for the Comment Gay! I agree, the added cost has definitely slowed me down in replacing all my bulbs. Replacing to LED bulbs slowly over time helps to ease the price shock a little bit for me.
Fantastic blog.Much thanks again. Really Cool.
I have been pleased with changing all of my bulbs to LED however in researching them I read something about the blue rays or light they emit such as also the ones that come from a TV or computers may be harmful. What is your opinion on this.
The first thing I did when we bought a new home was to replace every light bulb in the house over to LED bulbs. Not only do the use less energy,the put out almost no heat. That’s helps in cooling cost too. Bonus!
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