LED Savings Calculator
See how much switching to LED bulbs saves on your electricity bill. Enter the old and new wattage, how long the lights are on and your price per kWh to get yearly savings, payback time and a 10-year outlook.
Incandescent, halogen or CFL
From your bill: total cost ÷ kWh used
Printed on the box, often 10,000–25,000 h
Incandescent ~1,000 h, halogen ~2,000 h, CFL ~8,000 h
How to use the LED Savings Calculator
- Enter the wattages of the old bulb and the LED replacement (printed on the bulb or box).
- Enter how many bulbs and how many hours a day they are on.
- Enter your electricity price per kWh from your bill.
- Add bulb prices and rated life to include replacement costs and payback.
- Read the yearly savings, payback time and the 10-year table.
How LED savings are calculated
- Energy used (kWh) = watts × number of bulbs × hours per year ÷ 1,000
- Electricity saved = (old watts − LED watts) × bulbs × hours per year ÷ 1,000 × price per kWh
- Avoided bulbs = bulbs × hours per year ÷ old bulb life × old bulb price
- Payback (months) = LED purchase cost ÷ yearly savings × 12
The 10-year table charges for a new set of LEDs each time the rated life is used up, so the net savings stay honest for long-running lights.
LED equivalents for common bulbs
| Light output | Incandescent | Halogen | CFL | LED |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ~450 lumens | 40 W | 29 W | 9–11 W | 5–6 W |
| ~800 lumens | 60 W | 43 W | 13–15 W | 8–10 W |
| ~1,100 lumens | 75 W | 53 W | 18–20 W | 11–13 W |
| ~1,600 lumens | 100 W | 72 W | 23–26 W | 14–16 W |
Wattages are typical values; check the lumens on the package for an exact match.
Frequently asked questions
How much money do LED bulbs save?
Savings = (old watts − LED watts) × hours used ÷ 1,000 × price per kWh. Replacing one 60 W bulb with a 9 W LED used 3 hours a day saves 51 W × 1,095 h = 55.8 kWh a year, about $9.49 at $0.17/kWh.
How do I calculate LED payback time?
Divide the cost of the LED bulbs by the yearly savings. Twenty LEDs at $3 cost $60; if they save about $223 a year (60 W to 9 W, 3 hours a day, $0.17/kWh, plus avoided bulbs), the payback is $60 ÷ $223 × 12 ≈ 3.2 months.
What LED wattage replaces a 60 W bulb?
About 8–10 W gives the same light as a 60 W incandescent (around 800 lumens). A 100 W incandescent is replaced by about 13–16 W LED (around 1,600 lumens). Compare lumens on the box rather than watts.
How long do LED bulbs last?
Most household LED bulbs are rated 10,000–25,000 hours, compared with about 1,000 hours for incandescent bulbs and 2,000 for halogen. At 3 hours a day, a 15,000-hour LED lasts about 13.7 years.
Is it worth replacing CFL bulbs with LEDs?
The energy saving is smaller because CFLs are already efficient (a 13 W CFL vs a 9 W LED). It usually pays to replace CFLs when they burn out rather than all at once, unless they are on for many hours a day.
Where do I find my price per kWh?
Divide the total of your electricity bill by the kWh used in that period. That includes delivery charges and taxes, so it gives a more realistic figure than the energy rate alone.