LED vs Incandescent Light Bulbs

If you've stood in the lighting aisle wondering whether those pricier LED bulbs are actually worth it, you're not alone. It's one of the most common sustainable swaps people consider—and for good reason. Lighting accounts for roughly 15% of a typical home's electricity use, making it a meaningful place to cut both costs and environmental impact.

But the upfront price difference can cause sticker shock. A single LED bulb might cost $3-5, while an incandescent is often under a dollar. So what's the real story?

In this comparison, we'll break down the actual energy usage, true lifetime costs, environmental impact, and light quality of both options. By the end, you'll know exactly which bulbs make sense for your home—and which rooms to prioritize if you're switching gradually.

Before diving into the details, here's a side-by-side overview of how LED and incandescent bulbs stack up across the factors that matter most.

Light-emitting diode (LED) technology has transformed home lighting over the past decade. These bulbs work by passing electrical current through a semiconductor, which emits light—a fundamentally different process than the heat-based light production of incandescent bulbs.

How LEDs Save Energy

The efficiency difference is dramatic. An LED uses approximately 75-80% less electricity than an incandescent bulb to produce the same amount of light. This is because LEDs convert most of their energy directly into light, while incandescent bulbs waste roughly 90% of their energy as heat.

LED Advantages

Exceptional lifespan: A quality LED bulb lasts 15,000-25,000 hours. At three hours of daily use, that's 13-22 years before replacement. Some premium models from manufacturers like Philips and Cree are rated even higher.

Lower operating temperature: LEDs stay cool to the touch, reducing fire risk and making them safer around children. This also means less strain on your air conditioning during summer months.

Versatile color options: Unlike incandescent bulbs that only produce warm light, LEDs come in a spectrum from warm white (2700K) to cool daylight (6500K), letting you customize lighting for different spaces.

Durability: With no fragile filament, LEDs are more resistant to breakage from vibration and impact.

LED Drawbacks

Higher upfront cost: While prices have dropped significantly, LEDs still cost 2-5 times more than incandescent bulbs at purchase.

Dimmer compatibility issues: Some LED bulbs flicker or buzz with older dimmer switches. You may need to upgrade to LED-compatible dimmers, which adds to initial costs.

Quality variation: Cheap, no-name LEDs may not deliver on lifespan claims or may produce inconsistent light color. Sticking with reputable brands matters.

Best For

• High-use areas (living rooms, kitchens, home offices)
• Hard-to-reach fixtures where you want to minimize bulb changes
• Enclosed fixtures where heat buildup is a concern
• Homes in warm climates where reduced heat output provides additional AC savings

Incandescent bulbs have been lighting homes since Thomas Edison's era. They work by heating a thin tungsten filament until it glows white-hot, producing visible light. It's a simple, proven technology—but one that's increasingly becoming obsolete.

The Energy Reality

Here's the uncomfortable truth: incandescent bulbs are essentially small heaters that happen to produce light as a byproduct. Only about 10% of the electricity they consume creates visible light. The rest becomes heat.

Incandescent Advantages

Low purchase price: At $0.50-1.50 per bulb, incandescents have minimal upfront cost.

Perfect color rendering: Incandescent light scores 100 on the Color Rendering Index (CRI), meaning colors appear exactly as they would in natural sunlight. This matters for art studios, makeup application, or anywhere color accuracy is critical.

Universal dimmer compatibility: Works with any existing dimmer switch without flickering or buzzing.

Familiar warm glow: Many people prefer the specific quality of incandescent light for its warmth and ambiance.

Incandescent Drawbacks

Short lifespan: Expect just 750-1,000 hours of use—less than a year at three hours daily. You'll replace incandescent bulbs 15-25 times for every LED replacement.

High operating cost: The energy consumption adds up quickly, especially in frequently used fixtures.

Heat output: The excessive heat is a fire risk in enclosed fixtures and adds to summer cooling costs.

Phasing out: Many countries have banned or are phasing out incandescent bulbs. In the US, new efficiency standards effectively prohibit most incandescent bulbs from sale as of 2023.

Best For

• Rarely used fixtures (closets, attics, storage areas)
• Situations requiring perfect color rendering
• Historic fixtures where specific bulb appearance matters
• Very short-term needs where upfront cost is the only consideration

Let's calculate what you'll actually spend over time, because this is where the comparison gets interesting.

Single Bulb Cost Analysis

Assume a bulb used 3 hours daily (1,095 hours per year) at the national average electricity rate of approximately $0.16 per kWh.

Incandescent (60W): - Annual energy: 60W × 1,095 hours = 65.7 kWh - Annual electricity cost: 65.7 × $0.16 = $10.51 - Bulbs needed per year: ~1.5 (at $1 each) = $1.50 - Total annual cost: $12.01

LED (9W equivalent): - Annual energy: 9W × 1,095 hours = 9.86 kWh - Annual electricity cost: 9.86 × $0.16 = $1.58 - Bulbs needed per year: ~0.05 (at $4 each) = $0.20 - Total annual cost: $1.78

Whole-Home Impact

The average home has approximately 40-50 light bulbs. Let's assume 30 are in regular use:

Annual savings from switching all 30 bulbs: ~$307

Over the 15-year lifespan of an LED bulb, you'd save roughly $4,600 compared to continuously buying and powering incandescent bulbs—and that's at current electricity rates, which historically trend upward.

Beyond your wallet, the environmental difference between these bulb types is substantial.

Carbon Footprint

Because LEDs use 75-80% less electricity, they're responsible for significantly fewer greenhouse gas emissions. According to the EPA's greenhouse gas equivalencies calculator, the energy savings from switching one bulb from incandescent to LED prevents about 50 pounds of CO2 emissions annually.

Scale that to 30 bulbs: You're preventing roughly 1,500 pounds of CO2 per year—equivalent to the carbon absorbed by 17 tree seedlings grown for 10 years.

Manufacturing and Disposal

LEDs require more resources and energy to manufacture than incandescent bulbs. However, because each LED replaces 15-25 incandescent bulbs over its lifetime, the net environmental impact strongly favors LEDs.

Neither LED nor incandescent bulbs contain mercury (unlike CFLs), making disposal straightforward. Many retailers like Home Depot offer LED recycling programs to recover valuable materials.

If you're switching gradually (a smart approach that spreads out upfront costs), prioritize based on usage and number of bulbs.

High Priority (Switch First)

Kitchen: Often has multiple fixtures running for hours daily. High usage equals fast payback.

Living room/Family room: Heavy evening use makes these prime candidates for LED savings.

Home office: If you work from home, these lights run 8+ hours daily.

Outdoor fixtures: Porch lights and security lighting often run from dusk to dawn. LEDs also perform better than incandescents in cold weather.

Medium Priority

Bathrooms: Moderate daily use. Focus on main bathrooms used for getting ready.

Bedrooms: Evening use varies but is typically consistent.

Lower Priority

Closets and pantries: Brief, occasional use means slower payback.

Attics and basements: Unless regularly used, these can wait.

Decorative specialty bulbs: Unusual shapes or vintage-style bulbs may have limited LED options or higher costs.

The verdict is clear: LED bulbs are the better choice for nearly every situation.

The math simply doesn't support incandescent bulbs for regular use. Even with their higher upfront cost, LEDs pay for themselves within months and then deliver years of savings. They last dramatically longer, run cooler, and have a fraction of the environmental impact.

The only scenarios where incandescent might make sense:

• Fixtures used less than 15 minutes daily where the payback period extends beyond the LED lifespan
• Specialty applications requiring perfect color rendering or specific bulb aesthetics
• Very temporary situations where you need light for a few weeks and already have incandescent bulbs on hand

For most homeowners, the strategy is simple: replace incandescent bulbs with LEDs as they burn out, starting with your highest-use fixtures. If you want to accelerate your savings and environmental impact, consider replacing all your most-used bulbs at once—the upfront investment is modest and pays dividends quickly.

This is one of those rare sustainable swaps where doing the right thing for the environment is also unambiguously the right thing for your budget. Start with your kitchen and living room, and you'll see the difference on your next electricity bill.