Save some energy

IKEA bulbYou should switch bulbs. If you are using incandescent light bulbs in your house, it’s worth your time and energy to switch them over to LED bulbs.

IKEA has a basic bulb that costs just $4.49.* It puts out a little less light than a 60 watt bulb, so it’s not the solution to all your lighting needs. But it will work in many applications.

Some complain that the color temperature of LED bulbs is not as warm or natural as that of incandescent bulbs. In reality, LED bulbs are available with outputs across the color spectrum. You may have to pay more – the IKEA bulb I’m trying to get you to buy is available in just one temperature.

The biggest reason to switch is that you will save a lot of energy. LED bulbs use about 85% less energy than similar incandescents. A second reason is that changing bulbs will become a distant memory. LED bulbs often last 10 years or more.

If $4.49 per bulb adds up to a big expense for your whole house, just buy one at a time. You can switch out all your bulbs over the course of a few years.

Enjoy a lower energy bill starting right away!

* UK residents – the equivalent bulb costs £7. Alas.

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5 Replies to “Save some energy”

  1. Often it seems like the new bulbs aren’t as bright (as a co-worker of mine once complained), but they really just need to warm up. We are accustomed to seeing light bulbs at their full intensity (lumens) immediately upon activation), but the new bulbs take a few moments to reach their full light output.

    1. Bill – that is very true for some CFL bulbs. LED bulbs are generally at max lumens output very shortly after turning on. (Advantage = LED.)

  2. Talk about light bulbs lasting a long time: I moved into my house in 1984. In the shower there is a light in a waterproof fixture that I have never changed! Granted, it’s not left on all the time, but still – at least 30 years of use and still going!

    Do LED bulbs get warm/hot? I have a couple task lights that I use when sewing/knitting/reading etc. that are the newer fluorescent-type. They still get a little warm, but not as much as the older incandescents. I just can’t take any extra heat once the weather warms up!

    1. Cool about your 30+ year bulb!

      LEDs are cooler than compact fluorescents or than incandescents – the coolest way to go.

  3. I don’t understand why CFL bulbs have to cost $4-5. But even at that rate, it takes less than a year to make up the difference in cost in energy savings if the bulb is on a few hours a day.

    For a while, Home Depot in Dallas was selling CFLs that were under a dollar each. I think they might have been subsidized by the power company.

    I still need incandescents for fans with dimmer switches.

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