Count the number and types of bulbs in your home. You may be surprised at how many light bulbs you have! Most will have a marking on them to tell you the wattage, voltage, and even the base of the bulb. If you’re not sure what type of bulb you have try amount of steps. Our reference charts are another way to help identify what styles of bulbs you have. The most commonly used bulb in homes is an A19 medium screw based bulb. Reflector styles are often found in recessed lighting, track, or as outdoor security flood lights and candelabra styles are often used in decorative fixtures such as chandeliers and wall sconces. Depending on your home or business application, you may also be interested in replacing your fluorescent linear tube lamps. There’s an LED for those too! Make a list of your current bulb shapes and sizes to help you find equivalents while shopping.
What color of light do you want?
Selecting the right light appearance for your space can make all the difference. The Kelvin scale is used to describe light appearance. Lower degrees Kelvin indicate a warmer, yellow-white light and higher degrees indicate a blue-white light. Warm white (2700 Kelvin) most closely approximates a traditional incandescent bulb and is favored in bedrooms and living rooms. It provides a warm and inviting light. Neutral White (3500 Kelvin) can be used in almost every space- it’s neutral. Office/work spaces will often utilize this color temperature. Kitchens, bathrooms and work spaces may benefit from a cooler color temperature (4100-5000 K). Daylight White (6500K) can be used for task lighting, detailing, or many industrial applications.
Know your watts from your lumens (brightness or light output)
At one time, we used to refer to wattage a measure of bulb brightness. Actually, wattage indicates the amount of energy a bulb uses and in traditional incandescent bulbs, higher wattage correlates with a brighter bulb. However, new and more efficient Compact Fluorescent (CFL) and LED bulbs use far less energy. Therefore, wattage is no longer an accurate indicator of bulb brightness. Instead, look for the Lumen (lm) rating, which describes the amount of light a bulb gives off or its brightness. This is the most accurate way to tell how bright bulbs are in comparison to their incandescent cousins.
Calculate your financial and environmental savings
LEDs are one of the more expensive bulb types on the market today, but recent advancements in LED technology have lowered the cost dramatically. To help reduce the upfront cost many electric utility companies offer rebate programs. LED bulbs are an investment and over their long lifetime they will save you money due to their high energy efficiency. They have the lowest Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) of any bulb type. Our video explains Total Cost of Ownership in more detail.