Lighting the Way to Energy Savings with LED

 

We all need some form of lighting to keep our houses bright and accessible, and with this, we need energy. Unfortunately, many households still use more traditional incandescent or CFL bulbs, which can be inefficient and cost loads of money in energy bills as the years go on. Nowadays, it is a great idea to switch your lighting to LEDs, even if the bulbs cost a little more up front.

Here's why.​

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LEDs are much more energy efficient.

Compared to CFL bulbs, LED bulbs use almost 5 watts less in power consumption. LEDs also save over 50 watts in power consumption compared to incandescent lighting, and their efficiency keeps improving over time. If you do the comparison, CFL power consumption is 15 kWh, with incandescent bulbs consuming nearly 60 kWh, and LEDs consuming less than 10 kWh. On average, our electricity bill is around 15 cents per kWh. If you do some simple math, your electricity costs adds up. In the end, you save more than a dollar in electricity with LED lights for every 1000 hours of lighting over your CFL bulbs, and more than $8.50 in electricity over incandescent bulbs. Everyone wins with lower electricity bills.

Durable lighting with low maintenance.

Not only are LEDs much more energy efficient, but are also durable and have a much longer, fulfilling lifetime. On average, LED bulbs have 15,000 more hours of life than CFL bulbs, and 24,000 more hours than incandescent bulbs. If you go to your local hardware store and count the cost for the bulbs, incandescent bulbs are about $1, while CFL run about $2, and LEDs go for $5.

Now, once you break down the cost of the bulb per 1000 hours of lifetime, incandescent bulbs cost $1.00, CFL cost $0.20, and LEDs cost $0.16. This means that even with a pricier up front cost for the bulb, LEDs are significantly more cost effective in the long run. Plus, you won’t have to run around changing bulbs every month!

The LED bulb is hands down the most cost effective form of household lighting. It is many times more cost effective than the conventional bulbs on the market, but nearly 6 times compared to incandescent bulbs. In searching for a quality LED lighting supplier, you should focus on finding someone who has experience as an electrician so they can help you design your lighting plan. This would include discussing your the typical lighting uses around your home to ensure you get the right lumens (or the total amount of light), color (warm or cool), and directionality or focus of your lights. Also, you want to make sure you don’t buy more than you actually need.

In conclusion, LEDs are the best solution to your home and office lighting needs. Not only do you save loads of money on them yearly, but these energy savings help the environment, which is vital to our energy consumption concerns for the future.

Author bio – Gilbert Cabrales has been with CS LED since its inception in 2008, first as an employee and then as a valued partner. Gilbert has vast experience in both lighting and electrical work and has a unique method for collaborating with his clients. He doesn’t stop at the sale. Instead, he works to truly connect with his clients and remains a resource throughout the lifespan of each one of their lighting projects. From design to implementation and beyond, you can count on “Gil” to deliver LED expertise and true partnership capabilities.