LEDs vs. Incandescents, round one.
We were at the ecotuesday event in Santa Monica this week and people mentioned their curiosity about LED lighting. One member at the event even said he replaced a bulb in his home with an LED light bulb and said he loves it but also mentioned it “costs too much.” Is that really true? Do LED bulbs really cost more than Incandescents, well let’s find out. Below is a table we put together that shows a head to head comparison between a LED and Incandescent bulbs.
| LED | Incandescent | |
| Lifespan | 50,000 hours | 1,200 Hours |
| watts used | 7 | 60 |
| kWh consumed per year | 20 | 175 |
| costs per kWh | $0.10 | $0.10 |
| total annual operating costs | $2.00 | $17.50 |
| cost for bulb | $49.99 | $1.50 |
| replacement costs over 10 years | $0.00 | $36.50 |
| total investment over 10 years | $69.99 | $213.00 |
Comparing the LED with an Incandescent bulb over a 10 year period, it’s quite easy to see that LED bulbs are the more cost effecitve method to go with. Would you agree with our calculations? Do you think LED bulbs a good investment for the future?
