Do LED Strip Lights Use a Lot of Electricity? Fool-Proof Guide

Do Led Strip Lights Use A Lot Of Electricity? Since LED decorations are becoming more popular by the minute, it is necessary to know whether they use too much electricity.

The answer is: no. That is because LED lights spend much less electricity than their counterparts.

You can read the guide below if you want to know how that can be true.

You will find plenty of info, such as how LEDs work and their efficiency compared to other bulb models.

Do LED Strip Lights Use a Lot of Electricity? – Guide

You already know that the LED strip light is a fantastical decoration, right?

However, you may not know that several types of LED have different sizes, colors, and intensities.

And each has advantages and disadvantages, including differences in how much electricity they consume. 

So, want to know more about it? Keep reading and learn all about LED lighting and how strips with this technology work!

That will help you conclude how much electricity LED strip lights use.

How Does LED Work?

LED is the acronym for light-emitting diode lamps. 

The diode is an electronic component capable of emitting visible light by transforming electrical energy into light energy in a process known as electroluminescence. 

LED lamps use semiconductor materials such as gallium arsenide and aluminum, aluminum phosphate, indium and gallium, gallium phosphate, and gallium nitride.

Electroluminescence manifests itself differently depending on the type of semiconductor used in the LED. 

The components can, for example, add a specific color to the emitted light and control it through dimerization.

In other words, increasing or decreasing the intensity of light perceived by the human eye.

Understanding LED’s Voltage

The first LEDs produced on the market emitted only red light. Such a feature was mainly used as a component in electronics to inform their state (on, off, or standby). 

The use of other types of diodes made the domestic LED possible, making these lamps visible in more than one color and not just red.

Therefore, you will find some RGB (red, green, and blue) LEDs on the market.

With these three colors of light, it is possible to create any other type of visible color, and therefore, knowing the voltage of this type of lamp is essential when buying.

It is the voltage value that controls the visible color of the LED.

Each Color Uses a Different Voltage

Below you can see, respectively, the voltage drop and maximum current to obtain each of the possible colors in the LED spectrum:

• Red: 1.8V, 0.02A;
• Green: 2.1V, 0.02A;
• Yellow: 2.0V, 0.015A;
• Orange: 2.0V, 0.02A;
• Blue: 3.1V, 0.02A;
• White: 3.1V to 4.0V, 0.02A; and
• Infrared: 1.1V, 0.02A.

The takeaway is that each color will use a slightly different amount of electricity.

The LED system will consume a bit more if you keep blue or white LED lights longer than other colors. 

What Are The Benefits of LEDs?

There are many benefits to using electroluminescence over other types of illumination.

Check out some of the benefits only LED lamps can bring to your lighting project.

Lower Electricity Bill

Fluorescent lamps are quite economical, but they don’t compare to LEDs. These can last many years longer than them and consume much less energy.

Best Long Run Cost

Although LED lamps require a slightly higher initial investment, they also have a better lifespan than other lamps.

Therefore, the return on investment offered by this product is much better for the consumer, and it is worth spending a little more on the feature.

LED Lights Are More Eco-Friendly

Another problem with fluorescent lights is that they pollute more. When disposed of incorrectly, these lamps can secrete mercury and phosphorus.

Those two components pollute rivers and seas and are toxic for humans.

If sustainability is a priority in your home design, using LED light bulbs will make all the difference in getting the results you expect!

LED Lights Are Very Safe

One of the issues that caused incandescent bulbs to be removed from the market was how hot they got.

That represented a fire risk if there was any defect in the product or proximity to a combustible item.

With LED lamps, such a risk is zero. That is because they do not use heat to light, but electroluminescence, a less risky and more stable technology for home use.

Less Maintenance On Your Part

Maintenance is less frequent because the durability of LED lamps is longer. Plus, they do not burn out like incandescent and fluorescent lamps. 

That means fewer visits to electrical stores and fewer residential light bulb changes.

Infinite Possibilities

With RGB LEDs, your decoration gains infinite possibilities.

It is possible to project any color from the visible spectrum in your living room, bedroom, or garden. 

What will not be lacking with an LED project is the creativity to make your home stand out from the rest.

In addition, this type of lamp offers a benefit that none of the other technologies deliver: dimming. 

Even with single-color lamps, you can customize the spaces. It will always be possible to increase or decrease the light intensity according to preferences.

In Conclusion…

The efficiency of LED lamps is higher, their lifespan is increased, and the components used to make them are less harmful to the environment. 

Therefore, today LED is the material chosen for the best lighting projects. All thanks to their high performance and the dynamism offered by LED lamps.

Checking Efficiency Numbers

LED lights are more energy efficient than incandescent and fluorescent bulbs while still producing the same amount of light (in Lumens).

Lamp Type	Life (hours)	Power (w)	Luminosity (lm)	Luminous efficiency (lm/w)
Incandescent	1000	100	1300	13
Fluorescent	6000	20	1280	64
LED	30000	15	1320	88

LED, as can be seen, produces a significantly higher light flux and is hence more efficient.

How To Calculate Costs

If you still want to know how much you will spend annually in keeping LED strip lights, let’s do some calculations:

In the United States, the average cost of electricity is 10.59 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh).

One kilowatt-hour (kWh) is equivalent to one thousand watt-hours (Wh) or one hour’s energy use.

Multiply the hours by 1,000 and divide the result by 1,000 to get the kWh equivalent in watts.

Furthermore, if you connect 15 feet of LED strip at a typical density, you will utilize 1.46 watts per foot (W/ft).

Please keep in mind that some strips may be much thicker than others.

Considering the numbers above and using the LED strip lights for around 12 hours daily, you should pay up to $10.22 yearly!

That is not very much. Sure, if you plan to install more than 15 feet, you must adjust the numbers.

But, even so, you will pay much less than you would with other types of illumination.

What We Learned

Do Led Strip Lights Use A Lot Of Electricity? They don’t! That is one more fantastic feature of LED strip lights.

You can use many of them in your rooms all over the house, and they will still consume less than common fluorescent bulbs.

If you must keep the electricity bill at a certain cost, LED products are your best friends.

However, it is also important to pay attention to how much wattage each color requires, as laid down in the guide above.