Cost of running 12 LED spotlights in my kitchen

Sn00py

I have 12 LED spotlights in my new kitchen, 6 on each switch. I rarely have 12 turned on at the same time so I would like to know the cost of running 6 of them for an hour, year etc.

As my family are in and out the kitchen switching lights on and off when it is dark, I decided to bring inside one of my garden LED solar lights with sensor, which cost around £25 for 2. We tried this last night and it supplied enough light to perform basic tasks without having to switch the main lights on. The light is back outside to charge ready for tonight.

I want to know if my idea is cost effective i.e. cost of running 6 LED bulbs versus the cost of buying 2 garden solar lights for £25. If this will save money I will put another at the top of the stairs to come on if we need to get up in the night. These lights could have endless uses around the home, if they save money.

Astria

I have mains LED lighting above the cupboards which bounces off the ceiling to produce enough light in the kitchen at night without the need for the main lights, and costs less than 1p/hr. It comes on automatically at 4pm and off at 1am.

On the fact of it your solar lights may seem cheaper, but when you factor in replacement batteries, it may work out more expensive.

lohr500

Assuming the LED spots are GU10 type fitting, then typically they run at around 4 watts per bulb.

So 6 bulbs for one hour = 6 * 4 =24W = 0.024kWh.

At £0.52 per kWh the hourly running cost = 1.3 pence.

Each solar light = £12.50. You would need to leave the lights switched on for 923 hours/38 days before the solar light starts to pay back.

Looked at another way, if the 6 lights were left on every day of the year for 4 hours per evening, the annual cost would be 4*£.013*365= £18.98 

I think I would be looking at the higher consumption devices in the home to find ways of reducing my electricity bill.

Sn00py

Thank you so much, very much appreciated.