💡 Light bulbs

How much electricity does an LED bulb use? vs halogen and incandescent

LED, halogen, CFL and incandescent bulb power use, yearly cost and savings from switching to LED.

Typical power

8 W

Cost per hour

$0.001 · £0.002

Per year · 12 kWh

$2 · £3

With 4 hours a day, electricity at $0.18/kWh and £0.26/kWh all-in.

An LED bulb gives the same light as a 60 W incandescent using 7–9 W: 85% less. Compared with a 42 W halogen, it saves 80%.

Compare bulbs by lumens, not watts: 806 lumens equals the old 60 W, 1,521 lumens the 100 W.

Consumption compared

TypeUsagekWh/yearCost/year
LED 806 lumens (60 W equivalent)8 W12$2 · £3
Compact fluorescent (CFL)14 W20$4 · £5
Halogen42 W61$11 · £16
Incandescent 60 W60 W88$16 · £23

Yearly cost with 4 hours a day.

Work out your cost

Per hour
$0.001
Per month
$0.18
Per year
$2
Energy per year
11.7 kWh

The price is a typical all-in figure for your country: replace it with yours (bill total ÷ kWh).

How to use less

  • Replace first the bulbs that stay on longest: kitchen, living room, outdoors.
  • Choose 2,700–3,000 K for warm light at home, 4,000 K for studies and bathrooms.
  • An LED bulb lasts 15,000–25,000 hours: it pays for itself in months.
Lower-energy modelsCompare prices and energy labels on AmazonAmazon ↗

FAQ

How much electricity does an LED bulb use?
About 8 W, or 0 kWh for each hour of use; from 3 to 100 W depending on the model.
How much does it cost per year?
With 4 hours a day it uses about 12 kWh a year: about $2 · £3 at $0.18/kWh and £0.26/kWh.
How can I reduce it?
Replace first the bulbs that stay on longest: kitchen, living room, outdoors. Choose 2,700–3,000 K for warm light at home, 4,000 K for studies and bathrooms.

And what does your whole home use?

The calculator estimates heating, hot water and appliances and tells you what to change first.

Run the free calculator →

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