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Incandescent bulb power consumption and electricity cost

An incandescent light bulb also called an incandescent lamp, or incandescent light globe emits light by heating up a filament wire until it glows. 

Producing light by heating a filament is not efficient, so 95% of the power consumed by an incandescent lamp it is converted into heat. Only 5% of the supplied electricity is converted into light.

How much power does an incandescent bulb use

This type of bulb is rather inefficient, which means that the incandescent light bulb electricity usage is higher when compared to CFL or LED light bulbs.

Incandescent bulb power consumption

Under the same conditions and when compared to a LED light bulb:

A CFL light bulb will use around 75% more electricity 

An incandescent bulb will use around 625% more electricity.

For a better perspective, the table below shows the power consumption of equivalent light bulbs and their brightness in lumens.

light bulb lumen and watts comparison table

Additionally, this other table also provides valuable information:

> Light bulb energy efficiency: How efficient the light bulb is

> Light bulb lifespan: An approximation of how many hours the bulb will last before having to change it

> Light bulb electricity yearly cost: An approximation of the yearly electricity cost.

light bulbs efficiency comparisson table

Incandescent bulb electricity cost calculator

The calculator below can estimate an incandescent light bulb’s power and cost consumption over time. 

You need to adjust the values in the PARAMETERS section to your requirements, and the calculator will automatically display the RESULTS section.

 

For example, if you have 8 CFL light bulbs at home that:

> Have a power rating of 7 Watts (W)

> Are switched on 6 hours a day and 320 days per year

> You are paying 0,217 euros (or dollars or pounds) per every kWh you consume 

You will be paying around 23 euros (or dollars, or pounds, or…) per year in electricity costs to power up those 8 CFL light bulbs.

How much does electricity cost

If you don’t know how much you are paying per kWh, you should be able to find the cost per kWh on your electricity contract or in one of the electricity bills.

how much does electricity cost

Alternatively, if you don’t have access to your contract or electricity bills, this website shows the electricity cost per country.

Home appliances and devices electricity calculators

Here are a few other examples from our ‘Electricity usage and electricity cost calculators‘ page that may be of your interest:

How to lower the home lighting electricity bill

Apart from choosing the most efficient light bulb for your need, here there is some advice that can help you with reducing your lighting bill:

1.-  If possible, use transparent shades or fittings. 

This is because the dark lampshade can absorb some of the light that a light bulb emits.

2.- Clean your shades and fittings

Dust accumulation will prevent efficient light distribution.

3.- Choose the right color

‘Soft white’ or ‘warm white’ light bulbs provide a homey glow that is best for general household lighting

‘Cool white’ or ‘pure white’ are ideal for office spaces, reading areas, or any area that requires clear vision.

If you have an office space and install the incorrect lighting, you may try to compensate by installing additional lighting like desk lamps. And this approach will become an electricity waste.

4.- Do not keep the light switched on unnecessarily

Well, this is the most common advice, but it does count. 

Below, in the next section, you will find a calculator that should give you some insights into the importance of electricity conservation. 

Even small savings may significantly impact reducing our carbon footprint and conserving our natural resources.

Incandescent bulb electricity usage FAQ

How to tell if a light bulb is LED or incandescent

An incandescent light bulb has a filament that is relatively easy to identify. Just have a look at the picture of an incandescent bulb in Wikipedia.

The filament is the thickness of a human hair and gets bright when the bulb is switched on. The presence of this filament makes the incandescent bulbs relatively easy to identify.

Electricity measurement units

Not everybody is familiar with terms like Watts, Kilowatts, or Kilowatt hours, so if you would learn more about them, look at this YouTube video we have prepared about this topic.

What is a Kilowatt hour (kWh)

Electricity measurement units calculators

Or you can have a look at these electricity measurement units calculators to get a better understanding of:

> What is a Watt (W), and how to transform Watts into Kilowatts

> What is a Kilowatt (kW), and how to transform Kilowatts into Kilowatts hour

> What is a Kilowatt hour (kWh), and how to transform Kilowatts hours into other units

> What are Power (P), Voltage (V), and Current (I)

Watt (W)
Watt
Kilowatt (kW)
Kilowatt
Kilowatt hour (kWh)
Kilowatt hour
Power, voltage, current
Power, Voltage, Current

Home lighting and energy conservation

Energy conservation can be defined as the decision and the act of using less energy

Energy conservation both benefit you and the environment

The act of saving and conserving electricity does benefit you because you will be paying less for your energy bills. 

And it also benefits the environment because conserving electricity prevents unnecessary waste of natural resources.

At the individual level, it may not look worth trying to save a few watts here or there. 

Still, every little one counts, and if hundreds or thousands of us save a little every time, it will make an important contribution towards conserving our natural resources.

Energy conservation calculator

Reducing the home lighting electricity usage, even a very small amount, would greatly impact preserving our natural resources.

 

For example, if 9000 households save as little as 10 Watts per day (0,01 kWh) on home lighting electricity usage, that would add to 32850 Kilowatt hours (kWh) saved per year.  

9000 households x 0,01 kWh per day x 365 days per year 

32,850 kWh saved per year

That is a considerable amount of electricity, but let’s add additional perspectives for clarity:

> Assuming an average cost of 0,18 euros (or dollars, or pounds, or any other currency) per kWh, we would collectively save nearly 6000 euros per year.

> To produce 32,850 kWh of electricity, it is necessary to use around 17 metric tons of coal or 56 barrels of residual fuel oil.

Look at this page for more information about the resources needed to produce electricity.
 

In any case, small energy savings do count when looking into the bigger picture.

Proven ways to save electricity at home

Suppose you are looking for ideas to save electricity at home; look at this YouTube video. We show some useful tips for reducing electricity usage at home and decreasing the electricity bill. 

How to save electricity at home
How to save
How to save
How to earn
How to earn

Calculators

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