Smart Bulb vs LED Cost Savings Calculator

Why LED bulbs win the math

A traditional 60-watt incandescent uses about 6× more energy than an equivalent-brightness LED (9 watts). Over a 25-year LED lifespan, you replace 25 incandescent bulbs while the LED still works. The energy savings alone usually pay back the LED cost premium in 1-2 years.

Bulb lifetime and cost

• Incandescent: 1,000-hour life, $1-2 per bulb. Lifetime cost over 25,000 hours: ~$45 (25 bulbs × $1.80) plus ~$225 electricity at 5 hrs/day = $270.
• Halogen: 2,000-hour life, $3-5 per bulb. About 30% better than incandescent.
• CFL: 8,000-hour life, $3-5 per bulb. 75% energy savings vs incandescent. Slow warm-up and disposal issues.
• LED: 25,000+ hour life, $3-8 per bulb. 85% energy savings vs incandescent. Instant on, dimmable options.
• Smart LED: Same energy as regular LED but +$15-30 per bulb. Adds Wi-Fi or Zigbee module that draws ~1W standby.

Is smart LED worth the premium?

The $20 cost premium per smart bulb pays back in convenience, not energy. If you use scenes, schedules, or voice control across more than 8-10 bulbs, a smart switch ($30-50) controlling multiple regular LEDs is more cost-efficient than buying smart bulbs for each fixture.

Compare your savings against our smart bulb reviews and smart switch comparisons.