Does it really make a difference? Test bed based off 6 different light bulbs, a normal sized 3 bed 2 bath house light count, 850 current energy and fuel costs and 1 year run time.... I present the data!
Data pulled from 850 bill
Current Electric Service - RS - Residential Service meter Reading
Billing Period
May 11, 2015 - June 10, 2015
Base Charge $ 18.60
Energy Charge 2391 kWh x 0.07352 175.79
Fuel Charge 2391 kWh x 0.04369 104.46
Subtotal of Electric Service $ 298.85
State Sales Tax - Lighting 0.00
Florida Gross Receipts Tax 7.67
Total Current Electric Service $ 306.52
#Energy Charge .07352 kWh
$2.73 / month Philips 60 Watt Incandescent / $1.63 @ Amazon
$1.83 / month Unknown Bulb Incandescent
$0.99 / month GE 26 Watt Energy Smart CFL / 100 Watt Replacement / $2.93 @ Amazon
$0.52 / month Philips 60 Watt Eq 10.5W LED / Bulb Life 22.8 years / $7.90 @ Amazon
$0.26 / month Utilitech 40w Equivalent 6.3W LED / Bulb Life 13.7 years / $2.48 @ Lowes
$0.26 / month Ecosmart 9 watt (40 watt Eq) CFL / Bulb Life 9 years / $2.34 @ Amazon
#Fuel Charge .04369 kWh
$1.76 / month Philips 60 Watt Incandescent / $1.63 @ Amazon
$1.02 / month Unknown Bulb Incandescent
$0.68 / month GE 26 Watt Energy Smart CFL / 100 Watt Replacement / $2.93 @ Amazon
$0.30 / month Philips 60 Watt Eq 10.5W LED / Bulb Life 22.8 years / $7.90 @ Amazon
$0.15 / month Utilitech 40w Equivalent 6.3W LED / Bulb Life 13.7 years / $2.48 @ Lowes
$0.18 / month Ecosmart 9 watt (40 watt Eq) CFL / Bulb Life 9 years / $2.34 @ Amazon
Energy + Fuel Charge x 12 months = Total runtime 24/7 per year
$53.88 / year Philips 60 Watt Incandescent
$20.04 / year GE 26 Watt Energy Smart CFL
$9.84 / year Philips 60 Watt Equivalent 10.5W LED
$4.92 / year Utilitech 40w Equivalent 6.3W LED
$5.28 / year Ecosmart 9 watt (40 watt equivalent) CFL
3 bed 2 bath Avg # light bulbs in house = 30
4 - bedroom 4 - bathroom 4 - bedroom 4 - bedroom 4 - bathroom 2 - hallway 2 - garage 2 - outdoor 4 - dining
30 bulbs cost per year + 30 bulbs purchase cost = Total Cost for 1 year use
(Philips 60 Watt Incandescent) $1616.40 + $48.90 = $1665.30
(GE 26 Watt Energy Smart CFL) $601.20 + $87.90 = $689.10
(Philips 60 Watt Equivalent 10.5W LED) $295.20 + $237 = $532.20
(Utilitech 40w Equivalent 6.3W LED) $147.60 + $74.40 = $222.00
(Ecosmart 9 watt (40 equivalent) CFL) $158.40 + $70.20 = $228.60
Conclusion:
Depending on your usage, purchase price has little to do with overall cost of bulb usage. There is clear savings based on the type of bulb you use and that clear winner in this test bed is the Utilitech 40w Equivalent 6.3w LED.
For our Residents:
Our properties currently have a mixture of CFL and incandescent and no LEDs so if you reside with us and are looking to save money on your utilities go ahead and swap your bulbs if you'd like and keep the ones already there placed in a box in a closet. When you move just put them back in and take your energy efficient ones with you!
