With the energy crisis looming this winter, it is advisable to prefer LED bulbs to conventional bulbs. But are they really more economical?
With the sobriety efforts required of the French in the face of the energy crisis expected for this winter, it is important to know if using LED bulbs compared to conventional bulbs really changes the situation.
To find out, you must already understand how the two types of light bulbs differ. The classic light bulbs work with incandescence so they heat up. The 90% electricity used is for heat and 10% for lighting. So that’s a lot of wasted energy.
LEDs, on the other hand, consume only to produce light. It is therefore preferable to use LED bulbs that are much more economical when using them.
Indicative labeling
On the packaging of LED bulbs, it is noted the number of watts that the LED bulb consumes and its equivalence from a performance point of view with a conventional bulb.
That is to say that the indication on the label of “9 W = 60 W” for example, shows that the power consumed is only 9 watts for the LED bulb for a restored power of 60 watts . A conventional bulb would therefore have consumed 60 watts for the same efficiency.
A comparative calculation
To calculate what a bulb consumes, the calculation is simple. It is necessary to calculate with the average price of Kwh estimated in France at 0,174 euro in 2022 for EDF’s basic regulated tariff according to the site electricity-suppliers.
It is therefore sufficient to make the following calculation to estimate its electricity consumption: the number of hours of operation x the number of days of operation x the power of the device in watts / 1,000, as stipulated on the site Engie.
Which gives for an average number of hours of use per ampoule LED of 3 hours over the year a consumption of 9.855 Kwh, which is equivalent to an average price from €2 for an LED bulb used for three hours a day.
On the other hand, for a classic bulb equivalent to the same performance, therefore 60 watts, the price amounts to almost €12.
An LED bulb is therefore more economical in terms of consumption than a conventional bulb.
With several bulbs that work at home, it is therefore preferable to equip yourself with LEDs. The bill can thus easily be reduced by a hundred euros per year…
And even if their price is a little higher, they work for a longer period of time.
Of course the price varies according to the subscription and the options of the energy supplier.