The annual running cost of LED bulbs is cheaper than competitor CFL and incandescent bulbs. Taking factors such as purchase cost, lifespan, and running costs (in terms of electricity consumption) into consideration, LEDs outperform CFL bulbs by 12% and incandescent bulbs by 74%. We will now show the in-depth working to arrive at those figures.
Running Costs - LED vs CFL vs Incandescent
LED bulbs offer a lower total cost of ownership in comparison to competitor bulbs. To establish the total cost of ownership, we must consider the purchase price (per unit) and the comparative lifespans of both LED and competitor options.
- Purchase Cost
The primary consideration is the purchase cost of the bulb. Once the price is known, we can later assess the unit’s economy based on lifespan and running costs.
Comparative typical purchase costs (based on equivalent brightness):
BULB TYPE | COST |
9 W LED Bulb | £14.00 |
15 W CFL Bulb | £4.00 |
60 W Incandescent Bulb | £1.00 |
Based on this information, we may conclude that LED bulbs are comparatively more expensive than competitor bulbs. However, further considerations beyond purchase cost are needed.
- Lifespan
The average lifespan of an LED bulb is 25,000 - 30,000 hours. Some LED bulbs boast a lifespan in the region of 50,000 hours. However, there is a steeper price tag associated with increased performance.
For this comparison, we shall assume the average LED bulb lifespan to be 30,000 hours.
Lifespan - LED vs CFL
CFL bulbs offer a maximum lifespan in the region of 10,000 hours. Upon reaching the end of its lifecycle, some three to five times earlier than LED, we must replace the CFL bulb (at the purchase cost of £4).
Over the lifespan of a single LED bulb, CFL replacement costs would mount to £12-£16. Already we can see that the original purchase cost of the LED bulb is roughly equal to the continued replacement costs of the CFL equivalent option over the same period.
Lifespan - LED vs Incandescent
Incandescent bulbs offer a maximum lifespan of around 1,000 hours. When the bulb begins to fail, roughly 25 times earlier than LED, we must purchase a replacement at the cost of £1.
Therefore, over the lifespan of a single LED bulb, we require 25+ replacement incandescent bulbs. The purchase cost (£25 - £30) of these replacement bulbs is greater than the single purchase of a £14 LED bulb.
Lifespan - Conclusions
Let us now look at the data over an assumed single LED lifespan of 25,000 - 30,000 hours:
Bulb Type | Replacement costs |
LED | £14 |
CFL | £12 - £16 |
Incandescent | £25 - £30 |
As we can see, the purchase price of a single LED bulb makes economic sense (not to mention saving time on the chore of sourcing and physically replacing the bulb).
To answer the question of ‘how much does it cost to run an LED bulb’ with context, we must last consider running costs.
- Running Costs (electricity consumption)
Each household consumes a varying amount of energy over a single year. Let us, therefore, calculate running costs based on an assumed usage of 10 hours per day.
- LED
The annual running cost of a single LED bulb equals £1.08. When we add ownership costs (around £1.70 per year), the cost of ownership and electricity consumption equal £2.78 per year.
- CFL
The annual cost of ownership equals £1.46, and the annual electricity cost is £1.70, totalling £3.16.
- Incandescent
The annual cost of ownership equals £3.65, and the annual electricity cost is £7.20, totalling £10.85.
LED Bulb Running Costs - Final thoughts
The average annual running cost of an LED bulb is £2.78. This total is cheaper than competitor CFL bulbs and traditional incandescent bulbs.
In terms of percentages, LEDs are 12% cheaper than CFL and 74% cheaper than incandescent bulbs.
