LED the way

The CREE uses glass like a traditional bulb but with a rubbery coating on it

I bought my first light-emitting diode (LED) light bulb on April 9 and so far it's working well.

In fact, it provides more light, and warmer color too, than the compact fluorescent (CFL) it replaced.

It's supposed to last 22.8 years, based on 3 hours a day usage, and consumes only 9.5 watts to produce 60 watts worth of light.

After reading a lengthy article about the CREE LED bulb, I decided to buy the 60-watt equivalent bulb for $12.97 at Home Depot, which apparently is the only store selling it.

Yes, $13 is still exorbitant, about 10 times so, when compared to the standard 60-watt incandescent light bulb or the equivalent CFL.

But, at some point, we'll all have to take the plunge.

It's the best thing to do on a number of levels: LEDs save you money in the long run on electricity costs; they emit far less heat than conventional bulbs; they don't contain mercury like CFLs do; they reduce the need for more power plants which means less human-induced climate change; and they don't have to be changed every year or two or five.

Plus, LEDs come on instantly and most are dimmable, like the CREE.

The CREE bulb comes with an astounding 10-year warranty.

I put my first LED bulb in a hall ceiling fixture so that I don't have to get out a ladder every time the bulb goes out. In the coming years, I plan to replace all my light bulbs -- from incandescent to CFL to halogen -- with LEDs.

First, I will likely change the bulbs in hard to reach fixtures.

Outdoor fixtures will be next. Lastly, the bedside lamps will get LEDs.

This could take years to complete considering the high initial cost of LEDs.

But, Philips claims it will come out with a sub-$10, 60-watt equivalent bulb later this year.

As more people buy LED light bulbs, the cost of each bulb should come down. The price has already dropped in half in less than three years.

Obviously, we're in a transitional period for light bulbs. About 4 billion of the 5 billion bulbs used in America are incandescent. 

Eventually, though, the LED will become the standard bulb in all fixtures and appliances.

What the incandescent light bulb was to the 20th Century, the LED light bulb will be to the 21st Century.

Things are looking brighter for the wallet and the world.