LED stands for light-emitting diode. LED lighting products produce light about 90% more efficiently than incandescent light bulbs. A CFL is a compact fluorescent light. CFLs are about 70-80% more efficient than incandescent bulbs.
The average home has 30 light sockets, and if each socket contained a 60-watt incandescent bulb that was lit for 6 hours a day, the home would use about 10% of its total energy on lighting. Replacing those bulbs with LEDs would save the homeowner about $30 per year in energy costs.
LEDs are also much longer lasting than incandescent bulbs. An LED light bulb can last up to 50,000 hours, while an incandescent light bulb will last about 1,200 hours. That means an LED light bulb will last about 42 years if it is used for 3 hours per day.
CFLs also last much longer than incandescent bulbs, but not as long as LEDs. A CFL can last 8,000-10,000 hours, while an incandescent light bulb will last about 1,200 hours. That means a CFL will last about 8 years if it is used for 3 hours per day.
So, LEDs are more energy efficient and have a longer lifespan than incandescent bulbs. CFLs are more energy efficient than incandescent bulbs, but not as energy efficient as LEDs and have a shorter lifespan than LEDs.
