HOW TO DECIDE BETWEEN CFLS AND LEDS
When replacing an incandescent bulb, you basically have two options to choose from – CFLs (compact fluorescent lamp) and LEDs (light-emitting diode). In the past, CFL bulbs were more widely used, because they were cheaper, but nowadays, the price of LED bulbs has come down substantially, and the quality of light has improved drastically through new technological innovations. Despite still being more expensive, LED bulbs have many advantages over CFL bulbs that make that price tag well worth it; they consume less energy and last much much longer than CFLs (up to 20 years!), so any extra money you pay up front is recouped on your energy bill, and when you don’t have to purchase new bulbs every year. On average, an LED light bulb is roughly 3 or 4 times more expensive than a CFL but think about it this way – if you install an LED lamp in your new baby’s bedroom today, you most likely won’t have to buy a new one until after they go off to college! LED lightbulbs also don’t have any mercury in them – unlike CFLs, which can create a hazardous waste site if you accidentally break one in your house. Finally, LED bulbs can be used with dimmers – unlike most CFL bulbs.
One of the lamps above uses an incandescent and the other uses a Philips LED. Can you tell the difference?
HOW TO FIND GOOD REPLACEMENTS FOR YOUR INCANDESCENTS
Taking a stroll down the lighting aisle of a store to find incandescent bulb replacements can be intimidating because there are so many shapes and sizes, and the vocabulary on the packaging can be confusing. But pinpointing a few specific points about what you’re looking for can make this task a lot easier. The first thing to ask yourself is what type of light bulb are you looking to replace – a standard A-shaped lamp bulb, a floodlight, a “candle” in a chandelier or something else like a landscape light or a night light? Most of the time, LED versions of all of these types of bulbs closely resemble their incandescent counterparts in size (though the shape might be slightly different), so it’s a good idea to bring the bulb (or “lamp,” if you want to use the term lighting professionals use) with you to the store so you can actually hold it up to your prospective replacement and make sure the bases are the same size.
Infographic by Jill Fehrenbacher
LIGHT BULB TYPES
Here are some of the most common examples of incandescent and halogen bulbs, and the LED replacements that are designed to mimic them: For a table lamp or other fixture that uses a 60-watt incandescent bulb, you can replace it with a Philips 12.5 W AmbientLED A19 to save approximately $130 in energy costs over the lifespan of the bulb. For a chandelier or other 25-watt candelabra-style bulb, try replacing it with a Philips 3.5W DecoLED Candle for an approximate savings of $59.13 in energy costs over the lifespan of the bulb. Another common energy-sucking bulb, the standard 50-watt PAR20 halogen bulb (commonly used in recessed ceiling lights) can be replaced with the Philips 7W AmbientLED PAR20 for an approximate savings of $118.25 in energy costs over the lifespan of the bulb.
For other types of incandescent and halogen bulb replacement options, check out this handy-dandy chart:
LIGHT BULB “COLOR TEMPERATURE”
The next thing to check for is the “light appearance,” or color temperature of the light bulb you’re replacing, which is measured on the Kelvin (K) temperature scale. The higher the Kelvin number is, the more blueish white the light will be and the lower it is, the more yellowish it will be. Most light bulbs will be labeled with the type of light appearance they emit (soft, white, bright, warm, daylight) – although those words are often vague and hard to understand, so you’re better off just looking specifically at the Kelvins. The traditional incandescent, which gives off a warm yellowish light, has a temperature of 2,700 to 3,000K — similar to most halogens. Newer CFLs have a wider range, from warm (3,000K) to cold (6,500K). LED bulb temperatures can range from 2,700K to 5,000K, and while previous generations of light-emitting diodes tended to have a very blueish light, there are now LED replacement bulbs on the market (such as Philips’ AmbientLED line) which mimic the color temperature and “feel” of incandescent bulbs exactly – producing warm white light. Since light emitting diodes inherently shine blue, the way the Philips AmbientLED bulbs do this is through their patented orangey-yellow lens casing surrounding the LEDs (see below diagram).
BRIGHTNESS – LUMENS, LUX & CANDELAS
Once you have considered light bulb type and color temperature, you’ll also want to consider light bulb brightness, which is measured in lumens for LEDs and incandescent bulbs (weirdly, halogen bulbs tend to be measured in “candelas“) A bulb’s lumen measurements are always displayed on its packaging, so you can easily find out how bright the bulb you’re buying is.
Many people still confuse wattage (a measure of electrical energy used) with lighting brightness – but in this day and age of low-energy LED and CFL lightbulbs, don’t be confused by wattage. A traditional 60W incandescent bulb shines at about 800 lumens – the exact same brightness as a Philips’ 12.5W LED bulb or a 14W CFL bulb.
DIMMERS
One of the most asked questions regarding LED bulbs is whether or not they work with dimmers, and the answer is yes (most CFLs do not)! So if you have dimmers and want to continue using them, go ahead and choose an LED bulb.
What’s the difference between a phase-out and a ban? Effectively, nothing. In a couple of years I will no longer be able to buy traditional incandescents. That’s a ban.
Why shouldn’t I be free to choose incandescents if I prefer them? The additional money I supposedly spend on them will help fund our supposedly strained energy grid.
It’s time for the regulation busybodies in this country to get off our backs and let us live our lives the way we choose.
Another issue for renters: Don’t forget to take any CFL or LED bulbs that you installed in permanent light fixtures with you when you move! Otherwise you’ll never see the full potential cost savings.
I had replaced several hallway, closet, and outdoor bulbs in my former rented home with CFL’s, but I kept the original incandescent bulbs I found in those fixtures. When it came time to move, I placed the old bulbs back in those fixtures. Hey, I spent over $240 on those bulbs! No way I was just going to leave them behind.
Again, I am in favor of saving energy and using CFL’s whenever possible, but let’s be fair and compare the best CFL and LED technology with the best incandescent technology. My high quality 57, 60, or 71-watt incandescent bulbs cost around $1.50-$2.00ea and last about 18-24 months depending upon the application, not less than a year like the super-cheap store brand bulb shown in the infographic. So that’s about 10-13 bulbs over 20 years, not 21 bulbs.
Curious…if a CFL bulb lasts approximately 6.6 yrs, why do I have to replace so many that are less than 1.5 years old?
One chart says a 60W bulb puts out 860 Lumens, then your article continues and says that a 6OW LED replacement bulb puts out the same 800 Lumens that a 60W incandescent bulb does…..60 Lumens is a pretty big difference.
Also all of this is irrelevant because you only mentioned energy savings. I would suspect a lot more people live paycheck to paycheck these days and they would take a $0.25 bulb over a $30 bulb every single time.
I replaced all of my bulbs with 100W CFL replacements 6500K. $14/ea and they started burning out in less than a year. I should have just gotten cheaper bulbs that last the same amount of time.
Hi Tcutri-
Did you read the above article? Depending on how many lightbulbs you have, you’ll save $200-$1000 a year in energy costs every year with LED bulbs + you only need to buy LED bulbs once, since they last 22 years, meaning you easily make the initial upfront cost back in a matter of months.
LED bulb prices will gradually drop as demand increases and economies of scale kick in, but it is going to be like computers and cell phones – it will take time.
I would have to take out a 2nd mortgage to replace all the bulbs in my house. No doubt there is an energy savings but from a life cycle cost standpoint it still doesn’t make sense. What is the prognosis on the future drop in LED prices?
I prefer the Lighting Science Definity A19 bulb, but Philips’ Ambient is excellent for most A-lamp replacements.
I ordered a bunch of LED bulbs, and when I got them the box was was labeled ‘do not use in enclosed fixtures. Almost every fixture in my house is enclosed, so I’m not sure what to get.
kjacquin: You are forgetting the energy savings… It’s a 24-pack of 60Ws versus one 12W LED. That means five times less energy consumption, so after 20 years it will have more than paid back.
I started replacing my CFL’s with LED’s 5 years ago. My utility bill went down 40%. Energy consumption went down 30%. At that time LED’s were about $50 each and were not dimmable. Now you can buy some for $20 each that are dimmable.
This is great! I think with the soaring energy cost, making little changes like this should be on everyones mind. However, your phase-out timeline and handy facts should give them even more reason to make the big switch.
Perhaps some will be interested to read about these recent lamp / bulb comparisons…
http://www.marco.org/2012/04/09/led-light-bulbs-reviewed
http://www.marco.org/2012/04/21/lighting-science-definity-omni-v2
I am all about saving where I can. The issue is that the energy bulbs are still expensive. The images show 21 normal bulbs for 20 years and 1 LED for 20 years. Out of pocket cost is still way different. I can get a 24 pack of 60W incandescent bulbs under $15 when 1 LED is around $25+/-. Once I see the price lower I will be happy to switch.
I love that you point out that energy-efficient bulbs can give off warm lighting – no more excuses to stop buying incandescent!
Great tips, thanks!
This is a great guide – I’ll have to start swapping my bulbs.
thanks for this! i’m definitely going to make the switch, it saves money & energy!
Just bought a 10 watt Phillips L_prize bulb with the local utility taking $20 off.
Very useful info. I’m anxious to try the Philips AmbientLED.
Great tips. Planning on decking out my lighting fixtures with LEDs.
Great post! Important for everyone to learn about… spreading the word!
Wow super informative and helpful I’ve been trying to make the switch myself, and this makes things a lot easier.