You may have heard that LEDs are more energy-efficient than other kinds of lighting, and you probably wouldn’t be reading this article if you hadn’t. But how much do LED lights use? How much less than other lights? And what kind of savings can you expect if you switch to LED lighting in your home or business? Lest you think we’re trying to get you with clickbait or trivial answers, there’s a lot more to the story when it comes to how much-LED lights use and the pros and cons of switching from another light source. Read on for the science and reality about LED lighting, electricity usage, and cost savings.
Do Led Lights Use A Lot Of Electricity?
In general, LED lights use 80% less energy than regular lights and therefore use a lot less electricity. Additionally, LED lights last a lot longer than regular lights, around 20 times longer. This means you will not need to replace the LED light bulbs as often and this also means they will use less electricity when they do need to be replaced.
Fact About Led Light
How Much Electricity Do LED Lights Use?
One of the most important considerations when it comes to how much-LED lights cost is the amount of electricity they’ll use. You’ll have to account for the cost of powering your lighting fixtures, but that’s just the beginning. LED lights are actually more energy-efficient than incandescent bulbs, which were the standard for decades. But they can’t quite top fluorescent lighting — the kind often used in offices — when it comes to how much electricity it takes to produce a given amount of light. The good news is that the gap is closing, and the potential savings are huge. A report from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy shows that if every household in the country made the switch from incandescent bulbs to the most efficient form of lighting, we could save enough electricity to power 10 million homes.
LED Lighting and Energy Efficiency
LEDs use far less electricity than incandescent lights and other forms of lighting, which makes them more energy efficient. But how much less? And what is “energy efficient” in this context? The Department of Energy estimates that you can expect to spend between $0.35 and $0.55 per year in electricity costs for every 100 watts of incandescent light in operation. Compare that to the $1.10 per 100 watts that you may expect to pay for fluorescent lighting or $1.50 per 100 watts for the most efficient form of incandescent lighting. Wattage is one way of measuring how much electricity a light uses, but it’s not the only one. You’ll also see figures for lumens — the amount of light produced — or the amount of time a light is in operation. Energy efficiency is a measurement of how much of a light source’s potential is actually used. You can think of it as fuel efficiency for a car. You might have a car that runs on high octane fuel and gets great mileage, but if you’re driving a lot and not filling up often, you’ll run out of gas pretty quickly.
What Are the Benefits of LED Lighting?
Let’s go back to the figures we mentioned above to see just how much money you can expect to save with LED lighting. According to the Department of Energy, you can expect to spend between $10 and $15 per year on electricity with a 100-watt LED light in operation. That’s $30 to $45 less than what you would spend with a standard incandescent light on the same settings. Not only will you save on electricity, but you’ll also avoid the need for a lot of maintenance. Switching to LED lighting will reduce the risk of incurring repair and maintenance costs. Fluorescent lights, for example, are known for their short lifespan and require frequent replacements. LEDs don’t have that same issue.
Upfront Costs for LED Lighting
The cost of energy savings is sometimes the upfront cost of hardware. In the case of LEDs, you might have to spend $10 to $15 per light bulb — that is, if you don’t have them already or have them installed in your home. If you’re replacing a single fixture, you may not have to shell out for much. On the other hand, if you’re retrofitting a large commercial or industrial space, including parking lots and garages, you’re likely to spend thousands of dollars installing new fixtures and retrofitting old ones. However, the savings are worth it. You can expect to recoup your investment within three years and save even more in the years to come.
How To Reduce Electric Costs In Your Home?
Turn off the lights
When you are not in the room, turn off the lights. This is one of the simplest ways to reduce your electric bill. A typical light bulb uses 60% of the electricity it consumes to create light and 40% to heat up the filament. So when you are not in a room, turn off the lights and save that 40%.
Use LED bulbs
LED bulbs consume less energy than standard incandescent bulbs. An LED bulb will last longer than an incandescent bulb, so you will not have to replace them as often. These bulbs also use less voltage which means that you can use them with a dimmer switch without worrying about them burning out.
Turn down the thermostat
If you can lower your thermostat by just one degree in winter and two degrees in summer, you can save hundreds of dollars on your electric bill every year. If it is hot outside, open some windows and let a breeze blow through your house instead of turning up the AC or using a fan. If it is cold outside, turn up the heat by just one degree and wear a sweater or put on some slippers instead of cranking up the heat all night long. You should also consider investing in energy-efficient appliances if they are available for your home or apartment building so you can cut back on energy consumption even more while also saving money on replacement costs over time.
Use power strips
Power strips make it easier for you to turn off all of your electronics at once when you are not using them. If you have a lot of electronics, you can buy a power strip with additional outlets or two power strips and plug your electronics into both. When you turn off one power strip, all of the electronics plugged into it will turn off as well.
Unplug appliances when not in use
If you have any appliances that are not used regularly, such as an older computer or printer, unplug them when they are not in use. This is especially important for things like computer monitors which consume electricity even when they are turned off because the monitor has to remain on so that it can display information from the computer’s memory. If your monitor is on but your computer is turned off, it is still consuming energy so unplugging it will help to save energy and money while also extending its life span by preventing unnecessary wear-and-tear caused by being plugged in all of the time.
The Bottom Line
Is it worth it to switch to LED lighting? Definitely, but you don’t have to do it all at once. You can start by replacing a single incandescent fixture with an LED bulb and seeing how much it saves. Once you see the numbers, you may decide to switch out a few more fixtures. Once you’ve got some LED lights in place, you can start to think about expanding your lighting system. LED lights don’t just come in the form of bulbs, but also fixtures. When it comes to how much do LED lights use, it’s important to understand the numbers. You may have to spend some money upfront, but the savings are worth it in the long run.
