Weighing the Switch to LED Lighting

Reader Contribution by Sommer Poquette
article image

I live for those moments when saving money and making an Earth-friendly decision line up and walk hand-in-hand. Hence, my household’s recent conversion to LED light bulbs.

At first, I was skeptical of LEDs because they are so costly, in comparison to incandescent or CFL light bulbs. In fact, I wondered why they cost so much more, and if they really could save me money and help the environment.

I asked my friend Anna Hackman, the blogger behind Green-Talk, for her suggestions on where I could start. She suggested this easy money saving calculator to see exactly how I could save money with LEDs, followed by a visit to the Energy Star website for more information. Both are great resources that I recommend for evaluating your own household’s current lighting costs and the savings behind making a bulb switch.

Next, I wanted to learn more about the difference between LEDs and CFL light bulbs and really understand if making the switch was worth it for my family. Lynn Schwartz with LPS Green Technologiesgave me some great information explaining how using LED lights could have a long-term cost benefit. According to Schwartz, LEDs yield at least five times the return on investment of incandescents (and as she pointed out, I have less of a chance of injuring myself falling off of a ladder changing light bulbs all the time!). A high quality LED lamp or fixture will generally last 25,000 hours or more, and some LED lamps can go for 100,000 hours. Consider that the average household typically uses their lights for 2,000 hours or less each year, and the longevity of LEDs becomes clear.

Online Store Logo
Need Help? Call 1-800-234-3368