The Complete LED Upgrade Guide for Homeowners

Switching your home's lighting to LED is one of the simplest, most cost-effective changes you can make. Yet many homeowners put it off, unsure of what to buy or whether the savings are real.

The numbers are straightforward. A standard 60W incandescent bulb costs roughly $1 to run for 10 hours. An equivalent 9W LED costs about 15 cents for the same light output. Over the lifetime of a single bulb, that's a saving of $50–$80 in electricity alone — before you factor in that LEDs last 15–25 times longer.

What to look for when buying LEDs:

Choose bulbs rated in lumens (brightness), not watts. For a typical living room lamp, aim for 800 lumens. For a reading lamp, 400–600 lumens. For a kitchen or bathroom, 1,000–1,600 lumens.

Pay attention to colour temperature. "Warm white" (2,700–3,000K) suits living rooms and bedrooms. "Cool white" or "daylight" (4,000–6,500K) is better for kitchens, bathrooms, and home offices.

Start with the bulbs you use most. The five most-used lights in your home account for the majority of lighting energy. Replace those first and you'll see the biggest return.

Dimmable LEDs: Not all LEDs are dimmable. If you have dimmer switches, check the packaging carefully and look for "dimmable" explicitly stated.

Avoid the cheapest options. Very cheap LEDs often flicker, have poor colour rendering, or fail within months. Stick to reputable brands or those with good reviews.

The upfront cost of replacing all bulbs in a typical home is $50–$150. Most homeowners recoup this within 6–12 months through reduced electricity bills.