LED prices putting off buyers?

Imagine installing a lightbulb in your recessed kitchen fixture and not having to replace it until 2025.

Imagine that it uses only a fifth the energy of a standard lightbulb, saving you $29 in electric bills a year, and doesn’t contain the mercury that’s in a compact fluorescent bulb.

Said an article Greenbang read today on Accountability Central, talking about LED lighting and its growing popularity in the healthcare industry. Greenbang imagined it and thought that sounded like a very good idea. Alas, not one we’re likely to see any time soon, due to the high costs of LEDs, which manufacturers are afraid will put off consumers off buying them.

Prices for an LED bulb are around in $100 at the moment, just to replace the usual guff you stick in your light fitting. While $100 might be a bit on the sharp side, LED bulbs could potentially have a lifespan as long as their owners and kill off the replacement lightbulb business.

With the spread of long-life bulbs, the answer to the classic question, “How many people does it take to replace a lightbulb,” might be, “Why would you want to do that?”