Switch it up: How LED lights can save you big time

Sometimes, saving the world starts just one light bulb at a time.

LED stands for “light emitting diode”, which is just science speak for the way the bulb converts electricity into light -- which, by the way, is super efficient. In fact, according to the Department of Energy, LED bulbs use 75% less energy than your traditional incandescent lighting and emit almost no heat rays.

But that’s not all. They also last 25 times longer than regular bulbs and have the greatest potential impact on energy savings in the U.S. If we all hopped on the LED bandwagon by 2027, (uh, newsflash, that’s just ten years away), we could save the electrical output of 44 electric power plants, and about $30 billion.

You don’t have to make the switch all at once. (But if you do, hey, more power to you!) The next time your kitchen light bulb goes out, just replace it with an LED. You can find them at any hardware store and will need to pick the lighting color, which ranges from blue-tinted bright white to yellow-tinted soft white. For a light bulb illuminating a room, you’re probably looking for an A-line bulb.

If you’re ready for more immediate electricity bill savings and haven’t put up your holiday lights, replace your old strands with LEDs. They should last you for the next 40 or so holiday seasons and will save you big time on your energy bill -- so they’ll pay for themselves pretty quickly. Plus, they don’t get hot so there’s less risk of a fire and the bulbs are made from epoxy lenses, not glass, so they’re less likely to break.

Already have your house decked out in lights that can be seen from space? No worries, just pick up some LED strands during the after-Christmas sales this year.

If you’re looking for more ways to become more environmentally friendly, read about our charity partners who are working to save the world: Carbonfund.org, Water.org and Amazon Conservation Association.