The Cost of a Light Bulb – is there really a savings?

While thinking about green energy and what impact it would have on my electric bill, I decided to go to the local hardware store and investigate the cost of a light bulb. I wondered, “If everything was equal, what is the real cost or savings of a light bulb?”

On display I discovered various lighting options from the regular light bulb to the Energy Saver options. I settled in on a 60 watt bulb. A 60 watt bulb if left on for 24 hours continuously will use about 43.2 kwh in a 30 day period. Using a calculator I multiplied that by what our average cost per kwh was over this past year and discovered that a 60 watt bulb would cost us $5.48.

So . . . I then looked at the poplar Energy Smart Bulb equivalent which uses 13 watts of electricity. Same scenario, if left on continuously this bulb will use about 9.36 kwh or would cost $1.19. And then an LED bulb which uses 5 watts of electricity would use 3.6 kwh or cost $0.46.

Using this information, you can definitely see the savings you would realize each month by going green. But, all light bulbs are not created equal. This is obvious when you look at the life of the bulb you purchase.

I decided to compare the life expectancy of a 60 watt bulb and equalize the price. When doing so I discovered an additional savings as demonstrated by the chart below.

So how much are your light bulb(s) costing you? Why not put a little green back in your wallet and save on your monthly electric bill too?