Energy Reviews the Top LED Replacement Bulbs

Ambit Energy anticipates more and more homeowners will switch to LED light bulbs as prices start to drop, making them more affordable. Due to the rising popularity of LED bulbs, Ambit Energy has compiled the accompanying list of the top LED replacement bulbs to help you compare such factors as efficiency, lifespan, warranty and more.

According to recent reports, the number of Americans buying LED bulbs has doubled in the last two years, to around 66 percent. LEDs are prized for their energy efficiency, brightness and longevity. We have previously covered helpful tips on how to pick the best light bulb to increase energy efficiency for your home, which you can continue to use as a resource.

Ambit Energy hopes the reviews of LED replacement bulbs below will give you a better understanding of the product options available.

Cree’s 60W Replacement LED

• Price: less than $10
• Lifespan: 25,000 hours (or 22.8 years based on 3 hours of use per day)
• Estimated yearly energy cost: $1.32 (based on 3 hrs. per day, 11 kWh)
• Warranty: 10 years
• Lumens per watt (efficiency): 79
• Cree’s original LED bulb remains a popular choice since its debut in 2013. CNET has praised the bulb for its satisfactory performance, superior efficiency and warranty. Overall, this bulb packs much value at an affordable price.

Philips 60W Replacement Bulb

• Price: $5
• Lifespan: 25,000 hours (or 22.8 years)
• Estimated yearly energy cost: $1.02 (based on 3 hrs. per day, 11 kWh)
• Warranty: 3 years
• Lumens per watt (efficiency): 79
• This bulb arrived in May 2015 with much fanfare because of its low cost. Consumers can purchase the bulb for as little as $5 at major home improvement stores. CNET noted its exceptional efficiency and excellent light quality. The only downsides are that the LED bulb isn’t dimmable and its lifespan isn’t as long as its competitors.

GE BrightStik

• Price: $10 for a three-pack
• Lifespan: 15,000 hours (or 13.7 years based on 3 hours of use per day)
• Estimated yearly energy cost: $1.20 (based on 3 hrs. per day, 11 kWh)
• Warranty: 5 years
• Lumens per watt (efficiency): 79
• This budget-friendly LED is excellent for standard household lighting. But the bulb isn’t as bright as other LEDs. The product’s five-year warranty is “one of the best you’ll find at this price point,” according to CNET.

EcoSmart 13-Watt (60W) LED A19

• Price:  $25
• Lifespan: 25,000 hours (about 23 years)
• Lumens per watt (efficiency): 71
• Estimated yearly energy cost: $1.57 (based on 3 hrs/day, 11/kWh.)
• Warranty: 5 years
• Good Housekeeping praised the EcoSmart product, noting that consumers enjoyed its brightness and how it cast light evenly. The bulb can replace an A19 or 60-watt bulb. The EcoSmart bulb is dimmable, which can help conserve energy over its lifespan.

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Top four reasons businesses are focusing on sustainability

Top four reasons businesses are focusing on sustainability

Creating a more sustainable business can be achieved in several ways. Maybe it means installing solar panels on the roof of your office buildings. Perhaps you could give out free bicycles to your employees to ride to work, as IKEA has done, or even incentivize riding or walking to work, like Colorado's New Belgium Brewery started doing years ago.
If you haven't considered operating your business in a sustainable way, you could be missing out on an opportunity to save costs and drive new business, a group of business owners concluded at a recent event. The panelists spoke at a session held by the Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce, according to Technically Philly.
The participants spoke on how the Swedish and Scandinavian culture has had a profound impact on corporate sustainability, and outlined four reasons why any company, anywhere in the world, should implement more environmentally sound practices.
1. Because it's what the customers want
Amy Bellcourt, vice president of communications for manufacturing firm SCA Americas, stated that hopping on board the green train makes business sense because it will drive your brand up in the eyes of the customers.
"If you have not started working with sustainability yet, you have missed a major opportunity," she said. "Customers are getting more aware every day and they demand sustainable business partners and products."
2. It will set you apart
If the competition is stiff in your respective industry, you may want to use sustainable practices to differentiate yourself from others in the field.
3.It's a great long-term investment
The media outlet pointed out that all the panelists agreed that when you see sustainability merely as an additional cost, you'll also likely miss out on huge opportunities. To Bellcourt, only looking at the upfront costs of sustainability is a major mistake.
"It is definitely giving us value back," Bellcourt said. "If sustainability would be a cost, we would never be able to keep it up in the long-run."
4. Good workers flock to forward-thinking companies
Bellcourt added that companies that focus on sustainability tend to attract the best talent in any given industry. This is especially true for the young workers around the world, she said, who want to work for companies with a "good agenda."
According to a recent study from Apparel, 87 percent of Fortune 1,000 CEOs said sustainability is important to profits, while another 73 percent said it can result in cost savings.