Light Bulb Savings Calculator

Welcome to the Light Bulb Savings Calculator, a comprehensive tool that shows you exactly how much money, energy, and CO₂ you can save by switching from incandescent light bulbs to LED. Compare the total cost of ownership — including energy bills and bulb replacements — for incandescent, CFL, and LED bulbs over a 10-year period.

Key Features

• 3-Way Comparison: Compare incandescent, CFL, and LED bulbs side by side with energy costs, replacement costs, and total cost of ownership.
• LED Payback Period: See exactly how many months it takes for your LED investment to pay for itself through energy savings.
• 10-Year Projection: Visual bar chart showing cumulative costs for each bulb type over a decade.
• Bulb Replacement Timeline: Visual comparison of how many bulbs you need to buy over 10 years for each type.
• Multi-Bulb Scaling: Calculate savings for your entire home or office — from 1 to 500 bulbs.
• Environmental Impact: Estimate CO₂ emission savings from reduced energy consumption.
• Multi-Currency Support: Calculate in USD, EUR, GBP, CAD, AUD, BRL, CNY, JPY, KRW, or INR.

How It Works

LED vs Incandescent Wattage Equivalents

Frequently Asked Questions

How much money can I save by switching to LED bulbs?

A typical household switching 20 incandescent bulbs (60W) to LED equivalents (8W) saves approximately $150-$200 per year in energy costs at US average electricity rates. Over a 10-year period, total savings including reduced replacement costs can exceed $2,000.

How long does it take for LED bulbs to pay for themselves?

LED bulbs typically pay for themselves in 2-6 months depending on usage hours and electricity rate. With 5 hours of daily use at $0.13/kWh, a $3.50 LED replacing a $1.00 incandescent bulb pays back the extra $2.50 in about 3 months through energy savings.

How long do LED bulbs last compared to incandescent?

LED bulbs last approximately 25,000 hours (about 13.7 years at 5 hours/day), compared to 1,000 hours for incandescent (about 7 months) and 8,000 hours for CFL (about 4.4 years). One LED bulb can outlast 25 incandescent bulbs.

Are CFL bulbs still worth buying over LED?

LED bulbs are generally a better investment than CFL. While both save significant energy over incandescent, LEDs last 3x longer than CFLs, contain no mercury, turn on instantly, work better with dimmers, and have dropped to similar prices. CFLs are being phased out in most markets.

What LED wattage equals a 60-watt incandescent bulb?

An 8-10 watt LED bulb produces approximately the same brightness (800 lumens) as a 60-watt incandescent bulb. Common equivalents: 40W incandescent = 6W LED, 75W = 11-13W LED, 100W = 14-16W LED.

Learn More

• LED Lamp (Wikipedia)
• Incandescent Light Bulb (Wikipedia)
• Compact Fluorescent Lamp (Wikipedia)