Are LED light bulbs worth the money?

Question

Not so long ago, it might not have been so clear cut - as new technology, the prices on LED bulbs were quite high for a while, but now I can go to Ikea or a few other reputable retailers and get a replacement bulb for about £1. Now that we’ve got past the initial high purchase price, the money saving argument starts to work a bit better.

In my living room, I have two lights on the ceiling, between them using eight 5W LED bulbs, giving a combined power of 40W. If I was using 25W incandescent bulbs, the total power from my ceiling lights would be 200W.

Assuming that I use my lighting for three hours a day, 365 days a year and that I pay £0.14 per unit (kilowatt hour) of electricity, I would have paid £6.14 for my LED lights, or £30.67 just for the privilege of lighting my living room with incandescent bulbs, a yearly saving of £24 in just one room. https://www.euroledshop.nl/

Then there’s replacing the bulbs. I’ve lived in my house for about four years now and must have in the region of 30 LED bulbs dotted around the place. How many have I had to change?

Aussie Devil · Answer

in the long run yes they are especially if it is a light that is used a lot

Jimmy C · Answer

I changed my whole house to LED a few years ago. Much cheaper to use, and no heat, so much safer.

RoVale · Answer

In my experience, they aren't really. The ones I've had lasted just as long as regular bulbs and they also had a tendency to flicker, which I find annoying.

Anonymous · Answer

LED bulbs are all made in China so quality is poor.
And most LED bulbs can't handle heat so you can't use them in enclosed fixtures or they don't last as long as a cheap incandescent bulb.
The lifespan claims are mostly lies and you will be lucky to get a fraction of what is claimed on the box.
They are also prone to flicker because the slightest
resistance in the bulb socket contacts will cause flicker.
Many also create radio interference to TV reception ham radio communications, and AM broadcast.
LED bulbs are easily damaged by power surges and they are made with some of the most toxic chemicals known to man so they are really not "green" since edison bulbs were 100% recyclable
and merely used glass, aluminum, and tungsten.

Diane A · Answer

Yes, first they don’t give off heat so there is a safety factor too, and the fact you just don’t have to change them often. Having bulbs burn out frequently is annoying.  Every cost savings helps

Mike · Answer

Someone did the math and not flushing your toilet with piss to save money only saves $7/year. You buy $40 in cleaner and have to smell stale piss for 365 days to save $7. You pissed out your $12 Starbucks.

When Walmart makes 100,000 units per second, 1/2 inch of cardboard saves $2 million/year. Putting a light on in your house for a few hours isn't going to add up that much. Personally, I think LED lights make the place look like a computer screen. Incandescent is warm and welcoming. I'll pay the extra $5/year to feel nice.

Anonymous · Answer

Yes. An overall improvement over the incandescent.  They have pretty much gotten the LED to match the characteristics of the standard incandescent so that they are now interchangeable.  Same shape, socket, light output,  light color. But the LED is also cooler and lasts a lot longer and uses less electricity.  And, it is a lot less likely to break if you drop it (work extension light).

drip · Answer

In the US LED light bulbs are not that much money and they do last a long time. I am slowly replacing every bulb on my house with LED bulbs. LED bulbs use less electricity 
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Great-Value-LED-Light-Bulb-9-Watts-60W-Equivalent-A19-General-Purpose-Lamp-E26-Medium-Base-Non-dimmable-Daylight-4-Pack/53017081

boy boy · Answer

i changed all lightbulbs to led ..save £5 a month on bills ..to give you idea of savings ..my dining room had 5x35w bulbs ..thats 175w ..now 5x4=20 ..same amount of light ...outside security was 500w ..now 20w ..same amount of light

Anonymous · Answer

Soon they will be the only type you can buy - the advantage is in the running costs, not just the longevity.

Are LED light bulbs worth the money?

10 Answers