High Power Bill? Change Your Light Bulbs And Save!

The cost of running light bulbs can be marginal, but depending on the type and number of light bulbs, costs can quickly rack up. In this blog post we’ll break down the three types of light bulbs – incandescent, CFL and LED – and discuss whether or not non-cost-effective lighting results in higher than expected power bills.

Three common types of light bulbs

The first standardised light bulb was the incandescent light bulb. This light bulb was one of the most common due to it being one of the first versions of the light bulb. However, technology developments have made these bulbs a thing of the past and they have now been replaced by the more efficient CFL and LED light bulbs. Like any new product, when they were first released to the market, energy efficient light bulbs were seen as expensive and (at the time) it was debatable whether the cost of adoption was worth it or not. Fast forward to 2018, and this is really no longer debate as CFL and LED light bulbs are indeed more efficient and have a greater lifespan than their older counterparts whilst being available at a competitively priced rate.

What makes energy efficient light bulbs so good?

Traditional incandescent light bulbs are actually no longer manufactured but they're still commonly used in households. The problem with these light bulbs is that they use a large amount of energy to produce light. 90% of the energy is given off as heat rather than light; so essentially you’re producing wasted energy from these light bulbs. This isn’t the case for CFL and LED light bulbs as they produce the same amount of light but at a greatly reduced cost. An energy efficient light bulb can use between 25% and 80% less energy than traditional incandescent light bulbs and also last 3 to 25 times longer. In the long run, the cost savings that households can experience are substantial.  

Can efficient lighting reduce my electricity bill?

The short answer is yes! Energy efficient lighting is one of the fastest ways of reducing your electricity bills. The average household dedicates roughly 5% of its energy bill to powering light bulbs. According to ENERGY.GOV, if you switch your five most frequently used light bulbs or fixtures with energy efficient bulbs, you can save $75 each year. The savings really do add up over time and if you can save $75 from changing your five most used lighting fixtures, imagine how much you could save if you replaced all of your inefficient light bulbs. ENERGY.GOV recommend purchasing any light bulbs that have earned the Energy Star rating, as these products have been tested for their energy efficiency and provide key information such as annual power consumption. 

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