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How Much Do You Save With CFL or LED Light Bulbs (Two Tools)

Posted by Sean | Posted under Expenses | August 12, 2008

Would you rather save 10-15 cents for every $5 you spend, or 20-30 cents for every $4?

CFO’s observation of gas-lines at CostCo suggests we might prefer the smaller savings, if it applies to a higher (read: more painful) unit price. Even though the discount is twice as big in absolute terms and more than twice as big percentage-wise: 2%-3% vs. 5%-7.5%.

It sounds silly, but it is probably covered by a book like Predictably Irrational.

Anyway…

Tools @ MilkYourMoney includes a "Light Bulb Comparisons" spreadsheet

This is a neat little spreadsheet that calculates your monthly savings from CFLs and LEDs vs. Incandescent Light Bulbs. The amount of savings are interesting: noticeable monthly, more noticeable yearly, semi-substantial over the long haul.

But the thing that caught my eye was the assumption of $.10 per KWh. Was it reasonable? For better or worse, I pay more attention to the overall electric bill than how it is calculated. Not wanting to get up, I Googled the Average Retail Price of Electricity, by State (doe.gov)

It turns out my state is among the cheapest. Hooray, low expenses!

Hey, wait a minute… I’m saving less per CFL than everyone else…

Oh well, the savings can add up quickly no matter where you live.

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