The debate has been going on for a while now: are the savings on your electric bill worth the upfront cost of purchasing LED lights? Since many homeowners are investing in holiday lights this time of year, we thought a calculation comparing 10 strands of lights would be appropriate.
Chart via: XcelEnergy
Using the average figures, and calculating the cost for running holiday lights from 5 p.m. to midnight every day from the day after Thanksgiving to January 5, the calculations break down like this:
6 hours per day for 40 days = 240 hours
Using this formula from XcelEnergy:
kW used X (Cost per kWh) X Hours Used = Cost of Electric
Cost of incandescent lighting:
3.208kW X $0.1188 X 240 hours = $91.47
Cost of LED lighting:
0.104kW X $0.1188 X 240 hours = $2.97
As you can see, the savings with LED lights far outweigh the upfront cost. Additionally, LED holiday lights can last up to 40 years, while traditional lights usually only last a few.
Source: XcelEnergy