What's the Difference Between an LED Light Bulb and an Incandescent Light Bulb?

They may look similar, but the differences between LED and incandescent light bulbs are significant. A choice between the two can lead to big savings on the cost of powering your home. Here's what you need to know to make an informed decision when choosing between LED and incandescent light bulbs.

Incandescent light bulbs use electricity to heat a wire (or filament) inside a glass bulb that emits light when it reaches high temperatures.

LED light bulbs (light-emitting diodes) pass electrical currents through microchips to create light. In other words, LEDs contain semi-conductive materials that allow currents to pass through electrodes, which creates an illuminating effect.

Why are LED light bulbs more efficient than incandescent bulbs?

When incandescent light bulbs are powered on, the light emitted is a byproduct of the heat running through the filament. This means that the bulb uses a majority of its energy to produce heat, not light, which generates unwanted warmth, especially during the warmer months. LED bulbs, on the other hand, operate with a higher level of efficiency without letting off heat. For example, 1000lightbulbs.com reported "A typical incandescent bulb that produces the equivalent brightness of a 60-watt bulb uses 60 watts of power, while an LED replacement usually uses only 8 to 10 watts." LED bulbs use significantly less energy to produce the same amount of light that an incandescent bulb emits. This leads to lowered electric bills as energy savings increase over time.

On top of this, LED light bulbs can produce enough light to last between 15,000 and 25,000 hours, while incandescent bulbs only last around 1,000 hours. When you light your home with incandescent bulbs, you have to purchase replacements much more frequently. While LED bulbs may cost a bit extra up front, they do not need to be replaced often, and their initial price is significantly offset by savings on electric bills.

Toledo residents that receive services from our Community Connections program are supplied with LED light bulbs to light their homes. This small adjustment, paired with the many other energy-saving upgrades we provide, can take hundreds of dollars off electric bills each year. Download and fill out our pre-application today!