Do LED Lights Use Less Energy?

LED lights are becoming a popular alternative to traditional forms of lighting for a number of reasons, but primarily because of their energy-efficient, money-saving nature. LED lights do use less energy, which makes them an appealing option to many homeowners. These lights provide multiple benefits, holding an advantage over traditional lighting, like incandescent and fluorescent bulbs.

For a detailed guide on LED lights, how they cut back on energy use and save you money, continue reading this detailed overview of LEDs.

What Are LED Bulbs?

LED bulbs aren’t technically bulbs: they’re many tiny diodes encased in plastic, which protects the element and directs the light. LED actually stands for “light-emitting diode.” Diodes are semiconductors that typically have two terminals that allow the flow of current in a single direction.

In the case of LEDs, the current moves into the positive end, which is an anode, then flows out of the opposing end, which is a cathode. Unlike traditional forms of lighting, LEDs lack wire filaments and glass tubing or bulbs, which makes them much more durable than other lighting forms.

Why Are LED Bulbs Different From Others?

LED lighting is considerably different from other light sources, such as incandescent and fluorescent bulbs. Incandescent and fluorescent bulbs are multi-directional, which means they emit light and heat in all directions. On the other hand, LEDs are a directional light source, which means their emissions are focused in a particular direction.

Additionally, incandescent bulbs have filaments that glow. This produces heat and light while energy moves through the bulb. Fluorescent bulbs move electricity between electrodes on either end of a gas-containing tube.

The reaction creates heat and ultraviolet light, which is visible when it strikes the phosphor that coats the inside of the bulb. LEDs run on electrons that flow, thus creating photons, which is the visible light.

The photons in LEDs create almost no heat, unlike incandescent bulbs, which release about 90% of their energy as heat.

Are LED Lights Cheaper To Run?

LED lights are considerably cheaper to run than their counterparts. They consume less energy while remaining energy-efficient, thus saving money. On average, LEDs last about 25 times longer than their counterparts. Although they have a higher upfront cost, LEDs pay for themselves within a few years by cutting back on energy consumption.

The Department of Energy conducted research comparing LED holiday lights to a similar strand of incandescent holiday lights. Specifically, they estimated the cost to light a six-foot tree for 12 hours a day for the holiday season, which averages about 40 days.

They found that incandescent C-9 lights cost about $10 to run, while LED C-9 lights only cost $0.27 to run. The cost savings are impressive, with LEDs only costing a small fraction of incandescents to run.

However, LEDs do cost considerably more than their counterparts. For example, an LED bulb may cost about $15.98 for a single bulb, while an incandescent bulb costs around $1.25. Considering many American homes run with an average of 40 lightbulbs, it is costly to get started.

It would cost around $639.20 to switch entirely to LEDs, while incandescents would only cost $50.

Do LED Lights Use Less Energy From Their Counterparts?

Again, LEDs come out on top in comparison to other traditional forms of lighting. On average, LEDs use about 75 to 80% less energy than incandescent bulbs. Considering that a 12-watt LED can put out a similar amount of light as a 50-watt incandescent, it makes sense that they save more energy.

Incandescent bulbs only convert around 10 to 20% of their energy into light, while LEDs convert 80 to 90% of their energy into light. Traditional forms of lighting convert a majority of their energy into heat, while LEDs only lose small amounts of energy in the form of heat.

LEDs can emit light without requiring heat as other competing technologies do. The semiconductor within the LED serves as a junction filtering electrical energy. It produces light as a byproduct. Incandescent and fluorescent bulbs fall short due to their energy drain. The materials, whether they be metals or gases, require heat initially for light production.

Since LEDs are considerably more energy-efficient than incandescents, they save money. For example, let’s say you were to replace 5 of your home’s most used light bulbs with ENERGY STAR-approved LED bulbs.

On average, you could save about $75 on your electric bill annually. Consider if you were to replace every single bulb in your home with an LED bulb. You could save anywhere from $300 to $600 on your energy bill each year.

Do LED Lights Last Longer?

In comparison to traditional forms of lighting, LEDs have a much longer lifespan. They don’t have any working parts that are prone to burning out or breaking as time passes. LED lights have an average lifespan between 25,000 hours to 60,000 hours, far surpassing that of their counterparts.

LEDs are up to 90% more effective than incandescent bulbs, thus bolstering their extended lifetime.

Incandescent lights heat up as they produce light, heating the filament in the bulb while the current moves through. With more electricity flowing through the bulb, it burns brighter, thus burning out the filament eventually. These bulbs typically only last for about 1,200 hours.

If you were to use your LED lights eight hours per day, seven days per week, they could last up to 20 years.

On the other hand, consider incandescent lights. If you were to use them on the same schedule, eight hours per day, seven days per week, they would only last five or six months. Their lifespan pales in comparison to LEDs.

While LEDs cost more initially, their lengthy, energy-efficient lifespan more than pays for itself. You would constantly need to replace incandescent bulbs, which comes to about every five and a half months if you were to run them 56 hours per week.

For example, if you need to replace all 40 of your light bulbs twice a year with incandescent bulbs, it’ll cost around $100. Over the course of 10 years, that comes out to $1,000 just to replace the light bulbs themselves, not even including the cost to run the bulb.

Conclusion

LED lights are an excellent alternative to other forms of lighting. They generally cost more than other bulbs, but you can find great deals on LEDs. They’re energy-efficient, save money, and last up to 25 times longer than traditional forms of lighting, like incandescent bulbs.

Although LEDs cost more to start with than incandescent or fluorescent bulbs, they pay for themselves within a year or two of use.

Considering they’ll last you many years, LEDs are a formidable choice.