Electricity usage of LED light bulbs

LEDs and LED Bulbs use less energy than all other bulb options. They are more energy efficient than CFL (Compact Fluorescent Lamps) and substantially more efficient than halogen and incandescent lamps.

What are LEDs?

LEDs or light-emitting diodes are a very energy efficient option for lighting, saving you up to 80% on energy bills.

How much does it cost to light a bulb?

Use our Bulb Energy Cost Calculator below to find out the running cost of your home or business lighting. We’ve included recent advertised costs from some of the more popular energy suppliers but please check their current up to date tariffs for the most accurate cost calculations.

Note: There are different advertised rates and saver rates for each supplier and we’ve chosen the standard rates.

  • Bord Gais Energy
    Standard Electricity Unit Rate (Cent Per kWh) – 48.19c
  • Electric Ireland
    Standard Electricity Unit Rate (Cent Per kWh) – 43.27c
  • Flogas
    Standard Electricity Unit Rate (Cent Per kWh) – 62.27c
  • SSE Airtricity
    Standard Electricity Unit Rate (Cent Per kWh) – 48.24c

Enter the hours of use, wattage for the lights and price per kWh (we’ve pre-populated this with the unit price of 45 cents per kWh).

Energy Calculator

Hours Used Per Day
Hours
Power Use
Watts
Price (kWh)
Cents

Watts vs Lumens

Many people still use the old rule of thumb for a medium size room you use a 100w lightbulb. This refers to the old incandescent bulbs that use 100 watts of electricity to give you a certain light level.
Light levels are measured in lumens. A 100 watt incandescent light bulb gives approximately 1600 lumens of light. So look for the Lumens on the packaging and not the wattage.

Comparisons

You can compare your current light bulb against our Energy Efficient LED bulbs listed below.

Lumens

470

806

1521

500

Type

ES/BC

ES/BC

ES/BC

GU10

Incandescent

40 Watt

60 Watt

100 Watt

 

Hallogen

29 Watt

42 Watt

72 Watt

50 Watt

CFL

9 Watt

14 Watt

23 Watt

LED

4 Watt

7 Watt

10 Watt

5 Watt