Some LED lights have been available since the 1960’s but they’re only just starting to become truly popular for residential lighting. Perhaps that’s because the recession has forced people to look at ways of saving money all throughout the home. There are at least 10 ways that LED lights save you money compared with incandescent bulbs or even compact fluorescent bulbs.

1.    Your energy bills are lower. LED lights are super energy-efficient. They use approximately 90% less energy than incandescent light bulbs. They also use less energy than CFL bulbs. They reduce home electricity costs immediately and can save you a large sum of money over time.

2.    LED lights don’t need to be replaced very often. These bulbs can last about ten years before you need to buy new ones. Although more expensive initially, they are lower-cost in the long run since they are long lasting.

3.    LED lights are usually under warranty. They’re covered for 3-5 years. Your regular light bulbs don’t have a warranty.

4.    Replacement due to damage is rare. These lights are rugged so it’s tough to damage them. They are great for areas of the home, such as the basement, where there are frequent thermal and vibrational shocks that can ruin other lighting over time.

5.    They offer the best one-direction lighting. This means you need fewer bulbs in many areas of the home. This also means that they are the most efficient bulbs for recessed downlights, which are used to create ambient lighting in areas light the bathroom and kitchen. Multi-directional lights end up wasting more than half of their energy inside of these fixtures whereas LED lights are very efficient here.

6.    They are a low-cost option for outdoor lighting. People with gardens and garages will save a lot of money over time by using LED lights in these areas.

7.    LED lights for dimmable switches are cheaper than other dimmable light options. They work efficiently when dimmed. In contrast, efficient dimmable fluorescent lights are expensive. Easy dimming options make it possible to simply reduce energy costs even further in the home.

8.    Holiday injuries are fewer with LED lights. Replacing holiday lights with LED lights significantly reduces the hazards of holiday lighting, saving money on personal injury and property damage.

9.    LED lights can reduce home heating costs. One complaint that people have about LED lights is that they produce more heat than other types of light. However, this can end up saving you money. Let’s say that you’re sitting beneath an LED bulb reading a book on a winter evening. You may not need to turn the heat up in the rest of the house until you’re ready to go to bed if you’re comfortable there under that bulb.

10.    No fees to recycle LED lights. The most common energy-efficient light bulb used in homes prior to the proliferation of LED lights has been CFL bulbs. However, these bulbs can be toxic which means that disposing of them requires extra effort. LED lights do not have this problem and therefore there is no time or cost associated with recycling the bulbs when that time does come.