Deal Seeking Mom

LED, the Future of Light Bulbs + Win a $50 The Home Depot GC!

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I’m sure you’ve all heard that one of the ways you can reduce your energy bill is by replacing your incandescent light bulbs with CFL bulbs, but if you’re like me, you’re probably also worried about the possible risks associated with doing so. CFL bulbs contain mercury, a neurotoxin that can cause kidney and brain damage, turning a minor mess of broken glass into a HazMat situation.

Because of this, we’ve been very hesitant to use CFL bulbs in our household, so I was very intrigued when The Home Depot contacted me about their new line of LED light bulbs. LED bulbs actually supply just as much light as traditional incandescent bulbs but use far less electricity — a whopping 85 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs and up to 50 percent less energy than CFL bulbs.

I was also amazed to learn that LED bulbs an extremely long life expectancy that, 100 times longer than incandescent bulbs! Each bulb can last up to 100,000 hours or 11.42 years! I know we have several fixtures that are a real hassle to change, so my husband would be thrilled if he only had to do so every ten years or so.

More interesting LED facts:

  • Replacing incandescent bulbs with energy-saving lighting options, such as LED lights, is a simple way to reduce your energy bills.
  • Replacing standard light bulbs with energy efficient LED bulbs will bring you immediate savings on your electricity bill.
  • In fact, innovative LED technology uses up to 85 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs, without sacrificing lighting quality.
  • LED bulbs supply just as much light as your old bulbs but use far less electricity. In fact, the innovative technology uses up to 85 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs, and up to 50 percent less energy than CFL bulbs.
  • LED bulbs also have an exceptionally long life expectancy that is 100 times longer than incandescent bulbs. Each bulb can last up to 100,000 hours, or 11.42 years.

Sounds great, huh? So you’re probably wondering what’s the catch. The bad news is this great new technology comes with a price tag that’s significantly higher than we’re used to paying for incandescent bulbs. Expect to pay about $17.97 for an LED bulb that’s a 40W equivalent.

However, the good news is that the price is rapidly coming down. In fact, just two years ago, a 60-watt equivalent cost $90 and a 100-watt dimmable bulb went for $360. Wow!

New legislation is requiring that most incandescent bulb production be discontinued by 2014, so it’s definitely important to start looking at other options. While the initial investment may seem steep, it’s important to consider the savings in energy coupled with the longevity of LED bulbs.

Next week I’ll take you shopping with me at my local Home Depot to purchase LED lighting for several fixtures in our house. But in the meantime, you can win a $50 gift card to The Home Depot!

To enter: Just check out the LED lighting page on HomeDepot.com and tell me one cool fact you learned about LED bulbs. Would you purchase LED light bulbs? Have you already started using LED light bulbs in your household?

This giveaway will close at 2:00pm EST on 1/13/11.

The Home Depot works with bloggers such as myself to conduct product reviews. They do not tell bloggers what to say about their products or how to say it. THD fundamentally believes that people should be free to form their own opinions and share them in their own words. The Home Depot often provides product – free of charge – to bloggers for review as they did for this post. The Home Depot’s policies align with WOMMA Ethics Code, FTC guidelines and social media engagement recommendations.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Michelle

    LEDs last up to 100,000 hours, 100 times longer than incandescent bulbs.

    I am having a hard time getting my comment to post. This is my 4th try.

    I just purchased a LED bulb this week for a night light.

  2. Rocio H.

    I really like this feature –>LED lights have an instant re-strike and are fully dimmable with no humming or buzzing.

  4. Karlie

    I didn’t know that thermal management was important with an LED…guess you learn something new everyday…

  8. Linda

    These lights sound ideal. We all want to reduce our carbon footprint and something economical and safe fits the bill. They are incredibly long lasting and who can argue with that. My hubby want to get LED Christmas lights for our home next yr. He’s so excited he can hardly wait. I can’t imagine not having to change a lightbulb for years! Thanks for the info!

  9. Jill H.

    I didn’t even know LED bulbs existed, I’ll be phasing these in, I never liked the mercury in CFL’s….and I found a bulb to fit every application I need.

  10. Kendra

    The simple fact they do not contain mercury is a great thing. I hope they last as long as promised, I have a shelf of CFL’s that went out after only 1 year of use that I have to properly dispose of because of the mercury.

  11. Linda R

    This sounds idea! These bulbs are 85% longer lived than regular incandescent bulbs. We are trying to reduce our carbon footprint and with the long life and absence of toxins, it sounds idea. My hubby wants to buy LED Christmas lights next year. He’s so excited already he can hardly wait! Thanks for the info!

  12. Kathleen

    My favorite fact and the reason that I would use LED lighting is that their longer life makes these types of light bulbs less likely to create enviormental waste.

  13. Erica Miskin

    I didn’t know they were dimmable. I have not been a huge fan of the CFL’s so it will be interesting to see these.

  16. Erica Miskin

    I am not a fan of CFLs so we will see how these are. It’s nice not to have the mercury in them.

  17. Candi

    OK…so I may be the last person that didnt’ know….but I didn’t know the CFL lights contained mercury. We had been swapping those in as our other ones burnt out. guess its time to go to HD and get the LED lights. My husband will be on board b/c he thinks LEDs are cool. Hehe.

  20. Jocelyn H

    I like the fact they can burn for so long. We use these as under cabinet lights and in the entertainment center….Another bonus, they make great night lights because of the soft light and ability to burn for so long.

  21. tess

    wow they last 20 years longer- we would never need to replace them- how do they continue to make money? Would you purchase LED light bulbs? heck ya.. Have you already started using LED light bulbs in your household? not yet but the next time i need a bulb- i’ll give it a try
    tcogbill at live dot com

  23. Peggy

    I like how long they last – the comment about installing one in your childs room now & not replacing until they’re off to college…WOW! Also, not containing mercury is a big plus…we have some CFLs in our house since we like to make ‘green’ changes but the mercury issue is a big concern of mine as well.

  24. Melinda D

    I learned that LED’s produce light when electrons inside the diode, excited by the flow of current, release energy in the form of light photons. I just recently bought some solar powered LED Christmas lights at Home Depot during their after Christmas sale ~ I can’t wait to use them.

  25. Melinda D

    I learned that LED’s produce light when electrons inside the diode, excited by the flow of current, release energy in the form of light photons. I just recently purchased some solar powered LED Christmas lights at Home Depot during their after Christmas sale ~ I can’t wait to use them.

  26. Linda

    I did not know that they do not contain mercury. We used LEDs on all our Christmas decorations this year!

  29. Joann

    saves energy with less usage , I used LED light bulbs for outside Christmas lights , the lighting effect was great .
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