How long will my LED light last?

If a homeowner switches from CFL to LED lights, how long will a LED light take to pay for itself in energy savings?

• Answer:

  Depends on the make and model that you get. I think right now they are running something like $10.00 each to $40, $50 even $60 per bulb. I think that the the LED uses 1/10th of the power of incandescent bulbs (filament bulbs) and have a lifespan of around 60,000 hours, where a CFL lasts 8 to 10 thousand and an incandescent bulb lasts around 2,000 hours. There are the economics of CFL compared to tungsten filament bulbs: http://www.scripko.org/ You may take the next step and do the math for CFL to LED. However. The savings alone in energy (1/10th that of regular light bulbs) is good enough for most people. that means you could have 10 times more light fixtures in your house with LED over regular light bulbs. If you imagine it that way its easier to see the difference - pun intended. For the cost of 6 CFLs (that you would need to use to get as much light time as you would from 1 LED) is most likely comparable if not a bit less expensive. Assuming you spent $10 dollars for your LED compared to the $3.24 for the CFL (as per that site) you would spend $19.44 for 6 CFL's. If you bought one of the higher end LEDs you could be spending $20.00 or more. http://www.ledinsider.com/Categories/GlobeandBulb/1007.aspx gives a few with prices.