Guest Blogger: 5 LED Lighting Benefits for your Home

Guest Blogger #891, Entry #2096, March 12, 2013

Lighting our homes isn’t usually something we think about when designing our homes and this generally includes where our water, air, and power come from. As long as the water runs when we turn on the tap, the heat and AC come pouring out when we set the thermostat, and the lights go on when the switch is flipped, we tend to ignore these incredibly convenient home amenities. And yet, we certainly notice the cost when our utility bills come in the mail. Although you can chalk it up to the cost of modern living, the truth is that you can save a lot of money by looking at just how you’re using utilities in your home. Instead of cranking the heat you can put on a sweater. You can conserve water by showering instead of bathing. But when it comes to lighting, you might not realize just how many options are out there to help you cut costs (and your carbon footprint). And if you haven’t yet considered LED lighting options, here are a few reasons you may just want to.

LED lighting in your outdoor home

Image via: Phil Kean Designs

1. Energy efficiency.

Although LED light bulbs will cost you a little more than their incandescent or CFL counterparts, and you may have to install special fixtures in order to use them throughout your home, you’ll find that the energy efficiency they provide more than makes up for the initial cost. While CFL bulbs are lauded for using only about a third of the energy needed for incandescents, LEDs could use as little as 1/30th. Imagine, just for a sense of perspective, that you’re currently paying $30 a month for lighting; by replacing incandescents with LEDs you could be paying as little as $1. And this is great news for the environment, as well, since the less energy you draw from the grid the less pollution you indirectly create.

2. Longer life.

LED bulbs are said to last for an estimated 30,000-50,000 hours. When compared to incandescent lights, which last about 1,000-2,000, and CFLs, which can offer 8,000-10,000 hours of use, you can almost see the savings stacking up. You’d have to purchase 15-25 (or more) standard light bulbs to get the same life as one LED. While you might only pay a dollar per incandescent and an LED bulb could cost you about $10, you’ll still save money (and time) on replacements. Plus, you’ll keep more products out of the landfill, and eco-enthusiasts will appreciate the fact that LEDs have no mercury.

3. Lower temperatures.

A standard light bulb produces somewhere in the neighborhood of 85 BTUs (British Thermal Units) per hour. If you have a lot of lights on, this can definitely add to the heat in your home, forcing you to crank the AC on hot summer nights. LEDs, on the other hand, emit closer to three or four BTUs per hour, creating much less heat in your home.

The benefits of add cool LED lights to your kitchen

Image via: Mal Corboy Design and Cabinets

4. Better lighting.

Many light bulbs fall on either the warm or the cool side of the light spectrum. While incandescent bulbs have a fairly yellow cast in general, fluorescent lights, for example, tend to fall more on the blue or green side of the color wheel. This can have an effect on the way you see your home in a very literal sense. But LEDs produce white light, which means everything they illuminate is bound to be seen in true color.

5. Peace of mind.

You don’t need an ERH power inc representative to tell you that you’ll get a lot of benefits from switching to LED lighting options in the home. You’ll not only save on your energy bill, but you’ll also create a lot less pollution and waste in the process. However, the greatest benefit is the peace of mind that comes from knowing that you’re doing something good for yourself, your family, and the environment.

For more lighting ideas on Stagetecture, click here.