There is really only 1 real reason as to why everyone should be upgrading their light bulbs to LED’s…. SAVING MONEY! Yes, you are technically reducing your carbon footprint, helping reduce green house gas emissions and saving the planet…. But come on! You are putting money in your pocket every month!
This is probably the easiest DIY upgrade you can do to your home to save energy. 95% of the time it does not involve tools other then maybe a ladder and it literally takes a couple minutes.
With the price of LED technology coming down, it is becoming almost impossible to not start this upgrade today. Now, you could opt for the less expensive option and go with the CFL (swirly type) bulbs, but that is an entirely different topic you can read more about on The Difference Between CFL and LED Bulbs.
If your home does not have LED bulbs and you are still heating… I mean… lighting your home with incandescent or halogen bulbs, you are literally paying for these bulbs to let off 90% of their energy in heat and only 10% of that energy is being transferred to light. With LED’s these numbers are inversed, 90% light output with only 10% of the energy in losses. We have done many conversions in homes where the home owners are calling us back to tell us how much cooler their home is, how much less time they are running their AC units and how much MONEY they are saving on their utility bills.
Our most recent example was changing out 85 – 6” Par 30, 75-watt halogen bulbs and upgrading to 5% dimmable LED trims.
The energy savings is simply in the math;
Previously: 85 lights x 75 watts = 6,375 watts per hour
After Upgrade: 85 lights x 8.5 watts = 722.5 watts per hour
To compare the two in dollars, based on an annual cost, with usage of 5 hours per day.
Previously: $1239.30 annually
After Upgrade: $140.25 annually
There is a SAVINGS of $1099.05 annually! Not to mention the money they are saving on their air conditioning in the summer! This savings has now paid for the upgrade and the labour costs and is putting money back into their pockets every year!
Upgrading your old lighting to LED is the easiest way to save energy and money on your home, but it is not the only way to save energy. There are plenty of professionals who can assist you in saving money. Read about hiring the right contractor for your job.
