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I’ve long been a fan of compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs ^[3] because of the energy savings. They are more expensive than incandescent light bulbs but they use up far less electricity. The two biggest complaints I have with CFL bulbs is that their lifespan is significantly reduced if they are turned on and off too often and that there is mercury inside them, making disposal a little more of a hassle.

Those problems are addressed with LED bulbs. LED bulbs use less power than incandescent bulbs, last up to 100,000 hours (That’s 17.1 years based on 8 hours of use a day), and have no glass, filaments, UV light, or mercury. One interesting fact I learned was that LED bulbs rarely burn out, they simply fade over time. The lifetime measure is based on when the bulb loses 30% of its lumen depreciation. Another interesting fact is that LEDs don’t have a filament, so they don’t really “burn out.” If you drop an incandescent bulb and break the filament, it’s done.

How expensive are LED bulbs?

A quick look on Home Depot ^[4] shows that it can start at around $18 and get as high as $300 (For an Accent LED Par38 Flood bulb). It’s pricier than both CFLs and incandescent bulbs, but it lasts longer and has the potential to save you more money over the long haul.

Giveaway!

As promised, we are having a giveaway. Home Depot ^[5] has generously provided four prizes for four lucky Bargaineering.com readers. Leave a comment below sharing your thoughts about LED light bulbs, what is appealing about them, and I’ll select four lucky winners to win one of the following:

• 3 winners to receive 1 EcoSmart A19 bulb ^[6],
• 1 grand prize winner to receive a $200 Home Depot gift card to re-fit their home with EcoSmart bulbs.

Contest is void where prohibited and I will select the winners at noon on November 3rd. Good luck!

The contest is now closed and the winners have been notified, thanks for entering!