When it comes time to replace a light bulb in your home, you now have many green choices. What is not so clear is why a CFL bulb costs $4 and a LED bulb costs $25.
Over the past year in the United States, many households have completely replaced every bulb with a energy efficient option. What they found when doing the math is that often those costly LED (light emitting diode) bulbs will actually pay for themselves within 3 – 4 years due to their reduced energy usage. An equivalent and less expensive CFL (compact fluorescent lamp) has the disadvantage of having a very small amount of toxic mercury inside which must be properly disposed of at the bulb’s end of life.
Consider if a LED replacement bulb is right for you. The quality of the light each type of bulb emits is another issue to ponder. How is the bulb going to be used – in a reading lamp, putting on makeup, or for general illumination? One may be perceived as warmer while another will appear cooler. A large hardware store will usually have examples of each lamps installed so you can see what they look like in use and choose the best one for your needs.