LED Buying Guide(2) - How to Determine If LEDs Are Right For You

LED Lamps are suitable for most of the situation but may not all. Of course, you need to consider the cost savings and other benefits be making any decision.

• Cost - LEDs cost more initially, and there is no doubt that they save you a lot of money in the long run because they last longer and use less energy. Money savings is from using 80% less energy and not having to buy about 25 traditional flood light bulbs. Depending on your state, savings and time for the bulb to pay for itself can vary. 

     Over 50,000 hours for a typical 7W LED flood Light replacement bulb that replaces a 50W Incandescent Flood at 8 hours usage per day, take US for example:

     If you live in Idaho where electricity is the cheapest in the country at 6.3 cents/kWh
     You save: $180.46 and the bulb pays for itself in 7.6 years.

     In California where the cost of electricity is 14.35 cents/kWh:
     You save: $353.54 and the bulb pays for itself in 3.9 years

     In Hawaii where the cost of electricity is a whopping 28.27 cents/kWh:
     You save: $652.82 and the bulb pays for itself in 2.1 years!

     Keep in mind, at 8 hours a day, these bulbs will last about 17 years before they need replacement. You can see the savings really vary so go here to see how your state compares: http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/electricity/epm/table5_6_b.html

     If the savings is not as quick as you'd like, there are a few other factors to consider as well that can strengthen the case for switching to LEDs.

• Convenience - If you have bulbs in hard to reach places, such as recessed downlights by replacing them with LED downlights, you do not have to worry about replacing them for a long time. No more driving to the store, buying them, coming back, taking out the ladder, and disposing of old bulbs. In places where you have a lot of bulbs, the time saved can really add up. 

• Less Heat, Less A/C If you have a lot of flood lights in a small area, it can really heat up a room significantly. LEDs give off very little heat in comparison. By talking to energy engineers (in California), a good rule of thumb for every kwH of electricity reduced by using LED tubes instead of traditional fluorescent tube, you can keep your thermostat higher and reduce your A/C costs by about 20%. I.e. if you save 1000 kWh of electricity per year, you can factor in about an extra 200 kWhs in reduced air conditioning costs as well. Besides the additional money savings, by switching to LED's, your room will be much cooler.

• Conscience Do you feel guilty about leaving the light on? Do you have kids that ALWAYS leave the light on? With LEDs they cost a couple of dollars to run a year so you can feel better about having your lights on. A 7W LED bulb run for 8 hours a day for 365 days in California would use about $2.86 a year in electricity compared to $20.44 for a 50W incandescent flood.