Money-Saving LED Lighting Is a Tough Sell

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Cheaper LED lights are becoming available

Sam's Club now sells a few different types of LED lights. I bought a pack of 3, 1.5W bulbs that produce lumens equivalent to a 40W incandescent for about $14, a few times more expensive than CFL's, but nowhere near the $60-100/bulb price others are talking about. I plan to take these bulbs with me when I move, as they will probably last me for most of my adult life. Plus, the solid state electronics invovled in LED's and the plastic casing make the bulbs less prone to breakage than the incandescent vacuum bulbs, or glass mercury containing CFLs. If you plan to buy these LEDs though, I would make sure that you have an application that is suitable for 40W equivalent bulbs, and that get a fair amount of usage. Because otherwise, its still not worth the premium.

For more info: http://wiredforstereo.blogspot.com/2009/02/sams-club-carries-leds.html

Shondip of IL @ Mar 26, 2009 09:34:13 AM

First Economical Solution

I couldn't agree more that there really seems to be a lack of good LED options for the AVERAGE American consumer. Most of the stuff I've seen in stores is either really expensive or junk. I thought you might find Radionic's ECONOMICALLY priced LED undercabinet fixtures (the "RX Series")of interest. They are reasonably priced and save over half the energy (but they still put out "real" light!). I ordered mine (the RX513) on www.factorydirectlighting.net for under $50. My wife now wants me to add one more to our kitchen and office!

Adam of IL @ Dec 31, 2008 17:26:19 PM

Led Lights

I will admit that an ELD light is the way to go. But no one seems to reolize that as long as the normal house hold on the low pay scale and the ever rising gas and food and basicly all around expence just to live is going up unless these items are made so any one can afford them it is not worth it. I agree that we need better ways of doing things but as i see it crime has gone up as a result of the high price of living. To most $100.00 to a faimly with kids that is only enough to feed them for a few days. Before it took two jobs one to pay rent and one to eat on Now it takes three jobs pay rent, Eat, And gas to get to them jobs. There is no way i could even consider getting a light like that and i know how much better they are.

David of FL @ May 27, 2008 10:05:43 AM

Comparing apples to geese

Light bulbs do indeed get broken in living room lamps. However, LED's (and CF's for that matter) are far more durable physically, and more apt to survive what would break a normal incandescent bulb. As with any new technology, costs run higher for for newer products, but become lower with greater adaptation and use. Further, LED's, unlike CF's, do not contain mercury and last longer than CF's in areas where CF's don't (pardon the pun) shine as well - bathrooms, hallways and other places the lights are turned on and off frequently and lower the life expectancy of a CF.

So for those places where difficult access, frequent off and on's and weather play an important role, LED's are probably more appropriate. They last longer than CF's do. If you don't like the price, wait a year. They'll come down. In the meantime, that living room lamp can be serviced quite nicely by a CF - they come in 3-way now - and will cost less in the long-run.

Fatesrider of CA @ May 24, 2008 15:06:00 PM

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