With energy bills for individuals, and especially businesses, having skyrocketed in the last few years, reducing the amount
Here at Vision Lighting, we specialise in commercial LED lighting solutions all over the UK, and one of the questions we hear the most often is “Are LED lights cheaper to run?”.
In this article, we’re going to answer all your big questions when it comes to saving money on your lighting, how much it costs to run an LED light bulb, and if they really are cheaper than normal bulbs! So, to learn more, keep reading or get in touch with the industry experts at Vision Lighting.
How Much Does it Cost to Run an LED Light Bulb?
LED bulbs are some of the most efficient types of lighting. With that said, the real-world costs of running LED lights will vary depending on a few key factors:
- How often they’re used
- The wattage of the bulbs
- How many LED lights there are on the premises
As an example, an 15W LED bulb that’s on for 12 hours a day, 365 days a year will cost around £17.82 to run, whereas for an incandescent bulb under the same conditions, you’re looking at a yearly cost of £118.78 per bulb, and £83.15 for halogen bulbs.
LED lighting technology is much more efficient over its lifetime, using 80% less energy than fluorescent lights. This means you can save an average of £150 per bulb over the life of an LED light.
How Much is it to Replace an LED Light Bulb?
It’s also important to consider other costs for your lighting - repairs and replacement for your lights also incur costs, particularly for businesses. Fortunately, LED lights also have a longer lifespan than both fluorescent and incandescent bulbs.
The average lifespan of an LED bulb is 25,000 - 30,000 hours, and modern A60 bulbs can last up to 50,000 hours! Each LED bulb will cost between £2-4.
In comparison, CFL bulbs have a maximum lifespan of around 10,000 hours, making them 3 to 5 times less efficient than LED bulbs. Incandescent bulbs only have a lifespan of around 1000 hours, making them between 30 and 50 times less efficient than LED bulbs.
This means that over the lifespan of one LED bulb, you’d need 3-5 replacement CFL bulbs, or 30-50 incandescent bulbs, which is not just costly, it’s also time-consuming!
To conclude, the answer to the question “Are LED lights cheaper to run than normal bulbs?” is yes!
Other Benefits of LED Lights
They’re More Light and Energy Efficient
LEDs are a great deal more efficient than traditional fluorescent lights. This is because LEDs emit light straight out in just one direction. When you think of fluorescent tube lighting, the light is emitted all the way around, which produces a lot of wasted light!
In fact, less than 10% of the energy used by traditional incandescent lights is actually used to produce light! The rest of the energy is converted into infrared energy or heat, which can be dangerous, and is obviously a big waste of money!
Safety and Eco-friendliness
LEDs are becoming increasingly popular due to their efficiency and eco-friendliness, making them a great replacement for fluorescent lighting, which is being phased out by the UK government and EU government. Many fluorescent lights contain mercury, which makes them difficult to dispose of and potentially harmful to human health.
They Last Longer and are More Consistent
As we’ve talked about, LED bulbs have a significantly longer lifespan than many alternatives. However, they also don’t dim or flicker towards the end of their life, something we’ve all had to deal with when using fluorescent lighting!
Making the Switch to LED Lights with Vision Lighting
At Vision Lighting, we work with businesses and trade professionals to offer high-quality commercial LED lighting supplies, solutions, and installation services. We’re experts in large-scale, high-quality LED installations, so if you’re considering making the switch, don’t hesitate!
Switching to LED lighting can be a bigger upfront investment, but - as we’ve discussed - in the long run the cost savings are easy to see! The biggest expense associated with changing over to LED lighting in your business or premises is changing the fittings. There are some instances where you can use adaptors, but these are a cost of their own too.
Even if your fittings don’t need to be changed, it’s best practice to switch over to LEDs all at once, rather than stagger them and use a combination of fluorescent and LED lights together, which can incur an expense of its own.
If you’re keen to change over to LED lights, but don’t know where to start, we can help. Our LED light installation experts can advise you on everything you need to make the transition as smooth as possible! Get in touch with the friendly team at Vision Lighting today and see how we can help.