LED Lighting: An Easy Way to Save on your Electricity Bill
Posted on May 21, 2020 by Will Gehrke
Tags, Energy
If you are seeking a quick and accessible way to save money on your monthly electricity bill, installing LED light bulbs in your home should be your first stop. LED (“light-emitting diode”) lightbulbs are an energy efficient way to light a home. There are three primary benefits associated with LED light bulbs:
- Bill savings due to decreased energy usage
- Longer lifespan of the light bulb
- Environmental benefits due to energy efficiency
LED light bulbs use much less energy than incandescent ones. Incandescent bulbs emit light by heating a wire filament until the wire glows. A typical incandescent light bulb only converts five percent of the operating energy into light. The remaining energy of incandescent light bulbs is primarily transformed into heat. The average incandescent light bulb uses 60 watts of energy. LED lightbulbs use much less energy; the average LED bulb uses only six watts.
According to the federal government, the average US household has 40 light bulbs installed in their home. Based on current electricity rates and average light bulb usage in Oregon, a household that switches from incandescent to LED would save about $11 a month. At the time of this blog’s publishing, a six-watt LED light bulb costs $1.35. Therefore, the cost of an LED light bulb retrofit would be $54 for the average household, which means the average household will start saving money after five months of LED bulb usage.
Another advantage of LED light bulbs is their longer lifespan. LED light bulbs typically last 20,000-30,000 operating hours, while incandescent bulbs last 1,000 hours. LED bulbs cut the amount of time one has to spend replacing them, as well as the cost. Unlike compact fluorescent lighting, LED bulbs do not contain mercury. Therefore, broken LED bulbs can be safely disposed in the trash.
LED light bulbs are also good for the environment and help electric utilities with solar production. Due to renewable portfolio standards, declining solar generation costs, and federal solar tax subsides, states across the West have installed a huge amount of solar. The chief technical challenge with solar generation is that solar panels only generate power during the daytime hours.
When the sun sets each day, solar generation across the region drops. Power generators have to activate power plants to meet customers’ nighttime demand for energy. Hydro and natural gas generating units are typically used to meet expected energy needs after the sun sets. Energy efficiency programs, such as LED lighting retrofitting, help cut energy demand in the evening when solar generation drops off the system. LED light bulb retrofits reduce demand during the evening peak, which helps more renewables be used to meet energy needs and thereby avoids the need to ramp up carbon emitting generating units.
CUB would like to note that there is an initial cost associated with upgrading a home from incandescent lighting to LED. As documented above, the installation of LED light bulbs in homes can offer bill savings, environmental benefits, and decreased maintenance costs. However, it is not possible for every household to fund an LED lighting conversion. Additionally, renters may not want to fund upgrades to homes that they rent. Thankfully, there is a solution to this issue. Oregon customers of Pacific Power and Portland General Electric qualify for free energy saver kits from the Energy Trust of Oregon. The Energy Trust is a ratepayer-funded nonprofit, whose goal is to pursue all cost-effective energy efficiency programs. As of May 2020, the Energy Trust’s Energy Saver Kits include free LED light bulbs. If you want to save money on your utility bill and help integrate solar power into the utility system, CUB recommends installing LED light bulbs in your home.
To keep up with CUB, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter!
05/21/20 | 6 Comments | LED Lighting: An Easy Way to Save on your Electricity Bill