You probably don't give much thought to light bulbs until one of them burns out and needs replacing.
When the time comes to replace it, will you use an older incandescent bulb or a more modern LED bulb? Discover the price differences between the two options here.
Incandescent bulbs date to the 1800s. Electric current passing through the glass bulb's tungsten filament produces light.
LEDs are solid-state lighting, meaning the light-generating materials are encapsulated. Incandescent lamps heat up, whereas LEDs don't.
LED lights cost $5 to $7 per bulb versus $2 to $3 for incandescents. When energy costs are included, LED are a superior bargain.
Residential LED bulbs, according to the US Department of Energy, use at least 75% less energy than incandescent lights and last up to 25 times longer.
So, how do the expenditures stack up over time? Hutton Power and Light's team performed the math for us.
Every 1,000 hours, the 60W incandescent bulb consumes 60 kilowatt-hours (kWh). At $0.11 per kWh, operating the incandescent bulb for 1,000 hours would cost $6.60.
Every 1,000 hours, the 12W LED bulb consumes 12 kWh of electricity. At $0.11 per kWh, operating the LED light for 1,000 hours would cost $1.32.