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Why You Should Switch to LED Lights

By Amy Patterson

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.

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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:

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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

Tags: Homeowners, Money, Savings, Go Green, Lighting, Holidays