In these darkest days of the year, there is nothing more important than adequate lighting. Unfortunately, firing up those incandescent bulbs costs money, and the more hours they run, the more they cost. Although change can be hard, today’s LED bulbs are better than ever, mimicking traditional bulbs in almost every way but with significant benefits to homeowners who make the switch.

LEDs Are Much Safer in Homes

Incandescent bulbs get hot. Sometimes they get very hot, especially when in enclosures like ceiling can fixtures. There are endless stories about recessed lighting catching fire because the wrong wattage bulb was put in by a homeowner in an attempt to brighten their space a little. That 100-watt incandescent bulb generates significantly more heat than a 40-watt or even 60-watt bulb.

LED bulbs, on the other hand, barely generate any heat at all no matter how bright they are or what color they put out. There’s almost no risk of fire due to overheating, making them super safe to leave running without supervision, even in a can light. Even better, LED recessed lighting kits are now available that replace the old can light housings, further reducing risk with upgraded construction.

LEDs Offer Additional Features

Incandescent bulbs are really good at making light, but they’re kind of a one-trick pony. LED lights on the other hand, are super versatile They can have built-in speakers for music on demand in rooms like bathrooms or on covered patios where it may be awkward to keep a stereo or smart speaker. They can also be smart themselves, allowing you to change the color of the bulb based on your needs. If you’re in the mood for a blue light in your kitchen, well, just a few clicks on your phone and it’s done. If you’d rather stick to whites, but like to flip between blue hue light and yellow hue light as the day progresses, you can do that too. You can even turn a smart bulb on and off without installing a smart switch.

Energy Consumption: Plain LEDs Versus Incandescent Bulbs

The other thing that LED bulbs do is save money and energy in a very big way. It might not seem like much, but a running a 60-watt incandescent bulb five hours a day adds up to about $11/year in energy expenses – if your house has 30 bulbs, that’s $330/year. That incandescent bulb is rated for a 1000 hour lifespan , so if you only use them 5 hours a day, you’ll be replacing them every 6 months, on top of the $330 you’ll spend on energy. For people who work from home and may have lighting on all day, 16 hours a day the cost of running a single incandescent bulb shoots up to $35 yearly with a bulb change every couple months, The electricity cost alone for those 30 bulbs is over $1,000.

LEDs on the other hand, cost only a fraction of an incandescent bulb to run and last a whole lot longer. At five hours a day, a 10-watt LED bulb (equivalent to a 60-watt incandescent) will cost you $1.38/year to run and last five and a half years. Even with 16 hours a day of use, that 10-watt LED is still only $5.84 to run, 30 costing you $175 yearly, and they’ll still last you most of two years.

Ready to Upgrade Your LIghting?

Although changing out incandescent bulbs for LEDs is something just about anyone can do easily, you may still want help choosing smart bulbs or rewiring old can lights into sleep, modern recessed LED lights. If you need a hand, give us a call. We have recommendations for the best electricians in the area as well as smart home experts. We strive to be your real estate resource for life.