How Much Do LED Lights Cost in 2022

An LED bulb used to cost about twice as much as an incandescent bulb. However, prices have dropped. This trend will continue as LED bulbs are produced for a wider range of uses at lower pricing. Now that they’ve become the lighting industry’s go-to product, how much do LED lights cost?

A Deeper Look at the Cost of LED Lights

Initial Cost of LED Lights

If you’re planning to switch to LED lights around your house or company, you should first think about the cost of the light bulbs. Decent lighting should be affordable or at the very least reasonable in price.

A single fluorescent or incandescent bulb costs less than a dollar. LEDs, in contrast, are a different story. They are more costly than the majority of lighting fixtures.

The raw materials of LEDs are all expensive: drivers, circuit boards, and yellow phosphor. However, as technology progresses and usage grows, prices have decreased.

Some nations, such as Venezuela and Brazil, began phase-outs of obsolete lighting systems, including incandescent lights in 2005. This phasing-out puts LED lights in favor. Because governments keep pushing for this transition, switching to LED lighting is unavoidable.

The phasing-out has been sluggish, owing to the huge initial expenditures of installing an LED lighting system. Shifting to LED lights will still cost you more money than other traditional lighting fixtures, even if it isn’t as pricey as it was at first.

Here’s a comparison chart of a typical 100W bulb across various lightings:

LED lights look like a huge investment initially but see how it goes in the long run. Keep in mind that LED quality varies a lot and impacts the price. Look for ones from a respected brand that delivers the best light and color output through time.

Transportation Cost of LED Lights

To receive your order from the supplier, you’ll need shipping services. This involves locating an affordable, respectable, and dependable shipping business.

The best shipping companies do not provide low-cost services. Expect that shipping will be more costly if the items are from another country.

The shipping fee will be determined by several criteria, including time and distance, product type, number of items, and import duty. Time and distance are the most crucial aspects of transportation for obvious reasons. The farther is your area, the more costly the delivery cost.

Time refers to how quickly you’d like the products delivered. Expect fast or urgent shipping orders to cost extra. In addition, if the products are fragile and require special handling, you will be charged more. Items that need packaging will incur extra freight charges.

Although LED lights are not very delicate, certain safety and packing precautions must be implemented. This is to guarantee that you will receive them in perfect condition.

The cost of transportation is nearly equivalent to how many products are to be delivered. For bulk orders, some shipping companies often provide discounts. So, if you’ve ordered several fixtures, the cost of transportation per item will drop dramatically as the number grows.

When purchasing LED lights abroad, you should order in bulk and ship all at once. Remember, multiple shipments will mean spending more.

Also, note that products entering a country are subject to government taxes and fees. You must pay all financial requirements by your customs office for your shipment to be released.

If you do not comply, your shipment may be held at your own risk and expense. You must conduct research and contact your manufacturer to compile all costs related to delivering your purchase.

Installation Cost of LED Lights

Two scenarios are possible when installing LED lights. Are you switching from incandescent or CFL lights to LED lighting? Are you starting from the ground up with LEDs?

If you’re upgrading, you’re probably not going to spend a lot if the voltage and wiring are correct. All that is required is a quick swap.

However, the female bulb fittings on the first bulb must match the male bulb fittings on the new LED fixtures. So, while making a purchase, double-check that these fittings are compatible.

If you’re installing LED lights from scratch, you’ll pay extra for wiring, which includes fuses, circuit breakers, and fittings, among other things. Employ an electrician because you can’t handle it all on your own.

But don’t worry. Hiring a professional won’t cost you a fortune. The majority of electricians bill between $50-$300 an hour. The building size and how many fixtures will determine the overall charges. Experts usually take 1-2 hours to install one single unit.

You may also try negotiating to pay them on a project basis. The total cost will be determined by the price you and your contractor agree on after the rate and labor discussions.

The prices of installing various LED lights are shown in the table below. These figures are simply estimates.

Maintenance Cost of LED Lights LED lights, like other bulbs, require regular maintenance. It’s only natural that families and businesses seek lighting options that are less expensive to maintain.

You’ve already used much money on purchasing, shipping, and installing. Why do you keep spending on maintenance?

Most typical light fixtures, such as incandescent bulbs, have a lifespan of 1,000 hours only. There’s a good risk they’ll burn out before the specified hours are over. You could end up paying tons of dollars on upkeep each year.

This is why shifting to LED lighting is an excellent choice because they are low-maintenance.

Compared to incandescent lights, LED lights have a 50,000-hour lifespan. That would equal six years of continuous lighting, assuming you leave them on 24 hours a day.

LEDs last 50 times more than incandescent lights. This means you’ll have to replace incandescent fixtures 50 times as opposed to replacing one LED bulb.

The average cost of replacing an incandescent or LED fixture is $3. So, you’ll only spend $3 for a LED fixture over the same period that an incandescent light would have cost you $150 in maintenance.

Isn’t it impressive? You won’t have to spend as much money on labor and upkeep with LED lighting.

Electricity Cost of LED Lights

The high energy usage of incandescent lights is one reason why government authorities are ruling them out. They often cost less than a dollar, but their enormous wattage will hike your electric bills.

Contrarily, LED lights have a higher initial cost but outperform traditional bulbs in energy costs. They have a +75% energy efficiency rating and can considerably reduce your electric bills.

LED lights are made to consume less energy while producing brighter light. It is achievable because of the lack of filaments in these fixtures. Therefore, a small amount of energy is lost as heat.

As a result, they are highly cost-efficient in terms of lighting as well as in cooling costs. Check the table below to see the difference in energy costs of various lighting systems:

LED lights might look costly at first. But in the long run, they’re the best cost-efficient lighting options. It doesn’t take long before you can enjoy your energy savings.

A cost comparison of LED vs. halogen exterior lighting reveals that with a modest household installation, the cost savings begin in the fifth year. It continues to grow every year after.

After ten years, a homeowner can save $1,009.50 by upgrading to LED lighting.

These estimates are based on an outdoor lighting system with 5 downlights, 11 up lights, 7 deck lights, and 3 path lights turned on for 6 hours each night the whole year.

It will cost around $130.35 per year to run a setup such as this using halogen lights. The cost of running it with LED lights drops to $31.80 for a year.

Even better, the savings extend beyond the cost of electricity. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, around 49 million LED light bulbs were installed in the country in 2012. That saved around $675 million in yearly energy expenses.

In the next twenty years, switching totally to LEDs could save the United States $250 billion in energy expenses and eliminate 1,800,000,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions.

The energy savings would be enough to light 2.5 million houses if every American switched one traditional light bulb to an LED.

Summary

How much do LED lights cost? LEDs are now more cost-efficient than other bulbs due to advancements in manufacturing technology. Their prices continue to fall over time.

Considering their efficiency and durability, they’ll save you money over time. Comparing their costs with other lightings, they are unquestionably worth your money!