LED Vs Incandescent - Who Wins?
15 May 2015
In our latest battle of the bulbs we pit LED against incandescent. It’s old versus new as a ship-shape LED bulb, featuring all the latest technology, goes up against a waning incandescent, who is a big outsider for this fight. Who will win? You probably already know. But exactly how big is the difference between these two bulbs? Read below to find out more. Banned! Since 2005 governments across the world have been phasing-out incandescents, so you soon won’t even be able to purchase them. Why? Because they’re incredibly inefficient and have a negative impact on the environment. While an incandescent light bulb will typically carry an E energy rating, LEDs lead the line with an A rating - the highest available. 
Old technology Incandescents produce light through an electric current that heats a wire filament to a high temperature until it glows. This is why incandescent lamps only use 5% of energy for light, with the rest being lost to heat. LEDs use their energy almost solely for light. And you’ll notice when you touch an LED bulb after it’s been on there will be little heat coming from it, unlike an incandescent which you can’t touch until it cools down. Light quality As well as producing a yellowy, unhealthy light, incandescents also tend to dim over time. In stark contrast, LEDs remain fighting fit throughout their long lifespan and give you different colour options to choose from too. Longevity Incandescent serve up a measly 1000 hours of use, so you’d be very lucky to get a year out of one. LEDs, on the other hand, have the stamina to go round after round and will deliver 25,000 hours of service, which 11.4 years based on average use. Appearance OK, fair enough, the traditional Edison-style incandescents remain popular and are a cornerstone of vintage lighting everywhere. After all, everybody loves a golden oldie. However, you can now buy LED bulbs that mimic that industrial-look with an exposed filament recreated inside, while still using a fraction of the energy. 
Efficiency This is the biggy. As mentioned before, incandescents are being fazed-out because they’re simply too inefficient. This will lead to LEDs being the accepted source of lighting. The good news is that this will lead to big savings for millions of people. Yes, LEDs are initially more expensive, but you’ll recoup your investment, typically, within 6 months and then continue to save money on your bills thereafter. Result As expected, the LED bulb saunters to victory, landing blow after blow. It’s little wonder incandescents are up for the chop after such a poor performance. But to be fair, they are over 100 years old after all...
Old technology Incandescents produce light through an electric current that heats a wire filament to a high temperature until it glows. This is why incandescent lamps only use 5% of energy for light, with the rest being lost to heat. LEDs use their energy almost solely for light. And you’ll notice when you touch an LED bulb after it’s been on there will be little heat coming from it, unlike an incandescent which you can’t touch until it cools down. Light quality As well as producing a yellowy, unhealthy light, incandescents also tend to dim over time. In stark contrast, LEDs remain fighting fit throughout their long lifespan and give you different colour options to choose from too. Longevity Incandescent serve up a measly 1000 hours of use, so you’d be very lucky to get a year out of one. LEDs, on the other hand, have the stamina to go round after round and will deliver 25,000 hours of service, which 11.4 years based on average use. Appearance OK, fair enough, the traditional Edison-style incandescents remain popular and are a cornerstone of vintage lighting everywhere. After all, everybody loves a golden oldie. However, you can now buy LED bulbs that mimic that industrial-look with an exposed filament recreated inside, while still using a fraction of the energy. 
Efficiency This is the biggy. As mentioned before, incandescents are being fazed-out because they’re simply too inefficient. This will lead to LEDs being the accepted source of lighting. The good news is that this will lead to big savings for millions of people. Yes, LEDs are initially more expensive, but you’ll recoup your investment, typically, within 6 months and then continue to save money on your bills thereafter. Result As expected, the LED bulb saunters to victory, landing blow after blow. It’s little wonder incandescents are up for the chop after such a poor performance. But to be fair, they are over 100 years old after all...
