4 Reasons Why Switching to LEDs is a Bright Idea

Like many of us, you're probably stuck and home and thinking about some socially-distant home improvement projects you can knock out. Easy efficiency upgrades are a good place to start, as families may have more time at home during our peak summer months. One relatively easy area to start your efficiency upgrades is lighting. The best part is that everything you need is readily available for purchase online, and there's minimal need to break out the toolbox. A simple wrist twist will get this job done in most cases. 

Lightbulbs often fall into the "out of sight, out of mind" category of home upgrades, but if you have old-school inefficient bulbs throughout your home, you could be wasting money while also generating excess heat. Both situations could be better as our Arizona thermometers start to climb. So, if you're looking for an easy DIY project to ease the quarantine doldrums, check out our five reasons to add an LED swap to your DIY list. 

LED lightbulbs will keep your rooms cooler

In our hot Phoenix summer, every degree counts when our ACs run full speed ahead. If your house has incandescent bulbs or CFLs, you're making your AC work even harder to keep your house at a comfortable temperature. LEDs are cooler than other traditional bulbs because 95% of their energy is used to create light instead of heat. This is why you can touch an LED without burning your hand, making them safer if you have young children. With summer approaching, now is a good time to switch some lightbulbs to LEDs.

Smart bulb further reduce energy demand

As more of our homes become "smarter" through devices like Amazon Echo and Google Home, the more other home parts are evolving to match. We've seen this trend happen with LED lightbulbs. Many on the market today have smart home capabilities like color options and voice commands. Some can even be programmed to shut off automatically when you're not around, reducing wasted energy. You can also get dimmable LEDs, but double-check when you're looking to buy because not all of them have that capability. 

LEDs can save you money

Although the upfront cost of an LED lightbulb might be more than a more conventional option, the long-run savings potential is one of the most popular reasons for switching. Not only do they run more efficiently, which can save you costs in energy bills, but they also last significantly longer- between 35,000 to 100,000 hours, depending on the model. That's an average expected lifespan of up to 15 years with normal usage of 6-8 hours daily. Any increase in upfront cost is more than made up by energy savings and fewer replacements across their dramatically increased lifespan. 

LEDs are better for the environment

Along with helping you save more money, LEDs can also help the environment. In 2012, the U.S. Department of Energy estimated that increased adoption of LED bulbs over the following 15 years would reduce electricity demands from lighting by 62 percent, prevent 258 million metric tons of carbon emissions, and eliminate the need for 133 new power plants.

Since they last approximately 50 times longer than an incandescent, 20-25 times longer than a halogen, and 8-10 times longer than a CFL, less waste goes into landfills and less material is used in production. The manufacturing and production of LED lightbulbs is also more environmentally-friendly than other lightbulbs and doesn't use toxic compounds like mercury, like CFLs. To top it all off, LEDs are recyclable and will help you reduce your carbon footprint by a third, on average!

In closing, now's a great time to keep busy, get a little wrist exercise, and simultaneously reduce your energy demands. Consider going solar if you're looking for other ways to save on your electric bills. We invite you to download our free whitepaper, "Is Solar Right For You?" to learn more about the critical factors that make up a solar purchase.