LED Bulbs - An Annual Reminder!
Welcome to Saving Money with Andrew!
Longtime readers of SMwA may roll their eyes at another post praising the humble LED bulb. But there are few money-saving moves that will save you money and help the environment more than simply updating your bulbs.
The most common incandescent bulb is 60 watts. Its compact fluorescent (CFL) equivalent is ~15 watts, and the LED equivalent is 10 watts or less. Like everything else, electricity prices are skyrocketing (we’re paying ~$0.25/kWh), and a single 60 watt bulb left on for 8 hours per day consumes over $40/year in electricity. Replacing this with a 10 watt LED would save you $30 each year, paying for itself in about 6 weeks. Even replacing a CFL would pay for itself in a bit over a year.[1]
And yet, over 60% of American households still use a significant number of incandescent bulbs, wasting tens or even hundreds of dollars per year.[2] The math is undeniable, and the economic and environmental case for going full LED has become overwhelming.
The next time you have 15 free minutes:
Take a quick look at each light fixture in your home and take note of each CFL or incandescent bulb.
If it’s an incandescent, replace it immediately with an equivalent LED. I purchase most of my bulbs either from Amazon or from 1000Bulbs (for more obscure types). When choosing color temperature, I typically opt for 2700K (“warm” or “soft” white), which is the closest to a typical incandescent.
If it’s a CFL, it’s probably still worth replacing immediately, but it’s ok to wait until it burns out. When removing and disposing these bulbs, just be careful as CFLs contain trace amounts of mercury. I try to recycle them if possible.
If you are *really* looking to save money, visit your electric utility’s website to see if they are offering free LED bulbs. Some utilities will even send someone to your home with LED bulbs and replace them for free.
And now, Andrew’s pick(s) of the week:
I was a Netscape bro in the 1990’s, and I even preferred the old AOL web browser to IE, but nostalgia can be strong: Sure, Internet Explorer Had Its Faults. But Fans Are Mourning Its Death Anyway.
If you live in, love, or are just fascinated with New York City, you really should subscribe to CAFÉ ANNE. Her recent piece about the Hare Krishna’s chain of reasonably-priced fast casual restaurants was a fun read.
Also interesting:
Finally, are you an Amazon Prime member? Would you like to save a fairly quick $10? Amazon is offering a stampcard with four easy to complete activities to unlock a $10 credit to your account (note: it takes a few days for the card to fully update).
I hope this has been helpful. If you liked it, please share it on social media! Also, please send me your feedback, requests, and success stories.
[1] Of course, your electric rates may differ, so you should review your last electric bill.
[2] Source: 2020 US EIA Residential Energy Consumption Survey - Lighting