LED Lighting Costs Calculator UK

Written-by

Janet Richardson

Reviewed-by

Richard Burdett-Gardiner

Updated on

Jun 21, 2024

LED Lighting Costs Calculator UK

Switching the type of light bulb that you use to light your house might only seem like a small step to saving money on your electricity bill. However, you may very well be surprised that by switching to LED (light-emitting diodes) lighting you could save up to a staggering £240 per year on your domestic electricity bill, which is no small saving.

Here we take a look at LED lighting prices and how they might work to save money for you. First the downside: LED light bulbs are far more expensive to purchase than conventional bulbs. A 6W LED bulb, for instance, could cost you around £9.00 to buy – far more expensive than a typical 60W (its lighting equivalent) conventional bulb.

So, given LED lighting prices, is the investment worth it? The answer is a resounding yes. LED bulbs are far more efficient at converting electricity into light than conventional bulbs as well as even other low energy bulbs that work more like florescent lighting. In fact a LED bulb is about ten times more efficient in using electricity than an ordinary filament bulb, or even other low-energy bulbs.

Assuming that you replace ten ordinary bulbs with LED bulbs then this would mean an initial outlay of around £90.00. You would be able to recoup this cost within five months and from there begin to save money giving you a net saving in the first year alone of around £150.00. Even better news is that LED bulbs have an extremely long lifespan with a typical bulb estimated to last around 6,000 hours. So assuming a bulb was used for ten hours a day, every day, then this would mean you would not have to change your bulb for eighteen months.

Of course it is probably unlikely that you would have a bulb turned on for ten hours per day, every day so this time period could be greatly extended. LED bulbs also come in a wide variety shapes and sizes, as well as a range of colours and hues to suit the particular environment that they are to be used in.

They also come in both bayonet and screw fitting, and there is none of that annoying flickering as they come on which you often find with other low energy bulbs. Finally, you will find that they also generate little or no heat which makes them safer than conventional bulbs. So if you are now looking at LED lighting prices then you should seriously consider making the relatively small investment and switch to LED lighting. As James Padmore of Compare the market has said:

“most people are aware that by making your home more energy efficient, great savings can be achieved. But people might not know just how easy being more efficient can be – by simply changing your light bulbs. Such small changes to the home can have a positive impact on people’s finances; a first year’s saving of £149.00 would pay for a year’s TV licence for example.”

The Renewable Energy Hub doesn't currently have a 'cost calculator' for LED lighting installation, but we're working on it. You can find a good one here.