[retiredguy123]

I have a 50-watt equivalent LED light bulb in my living room table lamp, that actually only uses 7 watts of power. I used to turn off the lamp whenever I left the house. But, I recently calculated that I could leave the lamp on for 12 hours every day and it would only cost $2.75 in electricity for the entire year. So, I no longer turn off the lamp when I leave the house. It still feels weird though and my parents are probably turning over in their graves. Do you always turn off LED bulbs when you leave a room or the house?

[Stu from NYC]

Yes

Thinking I am conditioned not to waste electricity.

[laryb]

I set up my Philips Hue bulbs with the IFTTT app to turn on at 15 minutes before sunset, and shut off at 11:30P. The front room lights start at 100% and drop to 50% at sunset We have them on in the rooms we don't use because it's so economical. It gives the illusion of someone being home, even when we're not. When we installed the LED landscape lights, the electrician told us if we run them 4-6 hrs. a night, it's around $15 a year.

[stevecmo]

I don't think I could re-train myself to NOT turn the lights off when I leave a room or leave the house.

We do have smart bulbs that we turn on and off either remotely or via programs to give the illusions we're home.

[tophcfa]

I still keep trying to turn off the lights all the time, but it’s often the solar tubes. I always turn off all lights not being used, even the electric sipping LED’s. It comes from a lifetime of conditioning.

[CoachKandSportsguy]

since we can't store electricity on a massive scale, and since every system has a maximum, generation output, and since most of the electricity is not created from renewable sources, shutting the lights off when not needed will help conserve the generation material which is being used to create the electricity. Our resources are not unlimited.

but then its a free country, so with enough money you can do whatever you want to do,

[TrapX]

Originally Posted by retiredguy123

I have a 50-watt equivalent LED light bulb in my living room table lamp, that actually only uses 7 watts of power. I used to turn off the lamp whenever I left the house. But, I recently calculated that I could leave the lamp on for 12 hours every day and it would only cost $2.75 in electricity for the entire year. So, I no longer turn off the lamp when I leave the house. It still feels weird though and my parents are probably turning over in their graves. Do you always turn off LED bulbs when you leave a room or the house?

7 watts x 24 hours x 365 days = 61320 watts per year
61320 watts === 61.320 kilowatts per year
61.320 kilowatts x $0.15 per kw = $9.20 per year (if on 24 hours)

Same math for 12 hours = $4.60 per year

I use $0.15 per kw because I also include base fees and other fees. Take total bill and divide by total kw for that number.

[RICH1]

Fixed income requires all my Lamps and Lights to be turned off… LED is the reason I can enjoy a couple 2 for 1 drinks at Cody’s …

[Toymeister]

What is especially SHOCKING to me is the OP, who is a regular poster known for his frugality, is willing to spend an additional $2.75 a year. Thanks to proper mathematics by TrapX Retiredguy has been given the real cost of leaving the LED on.

So the real question is will Retiredguy now shut off his light? We are talking real money now, nearly TEN dollars annually.

Retiredguy: don't risk your hard fought reputation as a cheapskate, shut off that light!

[MartinSE]

Why not? It's not a lot of work, they serve no purpose while I sleep - well, some people feel they act as a thief deterrent if you program them to go on and off and if someone is up and walking around.

Someone calculated 64kw per year. So, if 100 million homes left on the LEDs that would add up to 6.4 Billion watts. That is about the amount of 2 - 500 Megawatt coal fired power plants that we could shut down. Every little bit helps.

[Nucky]

It's in my DNA to turn off that light!

I've gotten calls from friends who see the light bulb in the doorbell is on and call me to alert me that I'm spending (wasting) my money!

They missed that the light pole in front of the house is blazing all night.

[retiredguy123]

Originally Posted by TrapX

7 watts x 24 hours x 365 days = 61320 watts per year
61320 watts === 61.320 kilowatts per year
61.320 kilowatts x $0.15 per kw = $9.20 per year (if on 24 hours)

Same math for 12 hours = $4.60 per year

I use $0.15 per kw because I also include base fees and other fees. Take total bill and divide by total kw for that number.

Here is my calculation:

7 watts/1000 x $0.089879/kwh x 12 hours/day x 365 days = $2.75

According to the Leesburg Electric Company, this is the total additional cost to my bill for using a 7 watt light bulb. So, I don't see any reason to add the fixed costs that are applied to every bill regardless of your consumption.

[retiredguy123]

Originally Posted by Toymeister

What is especially SHOCKING to me is the OP, who is a regular poster known for his frugality, is willing to spend an additional $2.75 a year. Thanks to proper mathematics by TrapX Retiredguy has been given the real cost of leaving the LED on.

So the real question is will Retiredguy now shut off his light? We are talking real money now, nearly TEN dollars annually.

Retiredguy: don't risk your hard fought reputation as a cheapskate, shut off that light!

Yes, that would be real money, but I don't agree with the calculation in Post No. 7. See Post No. 12. And, the actual savings would be less than $2.75 because I would still need to use the light bulb when I am in the house and not sleeping. But, I will take your suggestion under consideration.

Note that this thread was posted in "just for fun". But, I do find it amazing that some people are still using incandescent light bulbs.

[Topspinmo]

Originally Posted by retiredguy123

I have a 50-watt equivalent LED light bulb in my living room table lamp, that actually only uses 7 watts of power. I used to turn off the lamp whenever I left the house. But, I recently calculated that I could leave the lamp on for 12 hours every day and it would only cost $2.75 in electricity for the entire year. So, I no longer turn off the lamp when I leave the house. It still feels weird though and my parents are probably turning over in their graves. Do you always turn off LED bulbs when you leave a room or the house?

Yes, and no. When I leave for couple days I put them on timer’s.

[Topspinmo]

Originally Posted by Toymeister

What is especially SHOCKING to me is the OP, who is a regular poster known for his frugality, is willing to spend an additional $2.75 a year. Thanks to proper mathematics by TrapX Retiredguy has been given the real cost of leaving the LED on.

So the real question is will Retiredguy now shut off his light? We are talking real money now, nearly TEN dollars annually.

Retiredguy: don't risk your hard fought reputation as a cheapskate, shut off that light!

Now that rare coming from somebody who squeaks when the walk….

Now that know the real cost, I’ll be shutting mine off.