How Much Do LED Light Bulbs Save?

Replacing a 60-watt incandescent bulb with an LED that gives the same light saves about 51 watts. At 3 hours a day and the 2025 U.S. average electricity rate of about $0.17 per kWh, that's roughly $9.50 a year per bulb, so a $2 LED pays for itself in about 3 months. Replacing halogen bulbs saves a bit less; replacing CFLs saves only about $0.75 a bulb each year.

Watts by bulb type

These are typical wattages for bulbs that put out about the same amount of light as a traditional 60-watt bulb (roughly 750–800 lumens), from manufacturer spec sheets. The yearly savings assume 3 hours a day at $0.17 per kWh.

The 3-hours-a-day assumption is the one federal rules require on the Lighting Facts label printed on every bulb package, so it's a reasonable average. Bulbs you use more save proportionally more: a kitchen light on for 6 hours a day saves twice as much. Brighter bulbs save more too, because the gap in watts between the old bulb and the LED is larger.

What about bulbs you no longer have to buy?

On top of the energy savings, LEDs last far longer. A traditional incandescent or halogen bulb is rated for about 1,000 hours, roughly a year at 3 hours a day. A typical LED is rated for about 15,000 hours, or close to 14 years at the same use. That means fewer replacements, which matters most for hard-to-reach fixtures. The calculator leaves this out, so its payback estimate is conservative.

Should you replace bulbs that still work?

• Incandescent and halogen: yes. The savings are large enough that new LEDs pay for themselves within months in fixtures you use regularly.
• CFLs: usually not. They already use little power, so payback takes years. Replace them with LEDs as they burn out, and recycle them properly, since CFLs contain a small amount of mercury.

You're unlikely to find new standard incandescent or halogen bulbs in stores anyway. A 2022 Department of Energy rule set a minimum efficiency of 45 lumens per watt for general-purpose bulbs, which those bulbs can't meet.

Choosing an LED

Shop by lumens rather than watts: about 800 lumens matches a 60-watt bulb, and 1,600 lumens a 100-watt bulb. For a warm light like an incandescent, look for a color temperature around 2700K. If the bulb goes on a dimmer switch, make sure it's labeled dimmable.

Sources

• FTC — Lighting Facts label rule (16 CFR 305.23)
• GE Lighting — Classic A19 LED, 60 W replacement (spec sheet)
• Federal Register — General service lamps, 45 lm/W backstop (2022)
• EIA — Average retail price of electricity, residential