Thursday, September 3, 2009

New LED Bulbs a Breakthrough


Over the past few years we have cut our household electricity consumption by nearly 70%. By the end of 2008 I was feeling as if we had hit a wall. For the previous year our monthly usage had fluctuated within a narrow range around 150 kwh per month.

Then in early January 2009 I heard about a new LED light bulb that is equivalent to a 40 watt bulb, uses 1.5 watts an hour, and cost ten dollars. While it sounds expensive, it is far cheaper than other LED bulbs. I went out and bought a few, using them selectively on the porch, in hallways, on the landing of the staircase, and in a computer/desk lamp. In some places such as the kitchen, baths and reading lamps we continue to use compact fluorescent bulbs or regular light bulbs.

The results have been impressive, cutting another 40 kwh per month from our home electric bill. The reason is that replacing a 15w compact fluorescent bulb with an LED means we are reducing our use by 90%. The bulbs are mercury-free and are available at Ace Hardware stores throughout the region.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

We heat our houses around here for 8 or 9 months a year. Replacing incandescent with compact fluorescents or LED bulbs will reduce your electric usage but it won't reduce your energy usage during the heating season. During the heating season the extra heat from an incandescent isn't really wasted. It contributes to the energy needed to keep your house warm. Replacing an incandescent with a compact fluorescents or LED bulb doesn't alter the amount of energy needed to keep the house warm. The energy that was being supplied by the incandescent will now have to be supplied by the heating system.