Why the ENERGY STAR® Matters When Shopping for LED Light Bulbs

There are a lot of options on the shelves these days when you’re shopping for a light bulb. If you’re looking for a high-performing, long-lasting, energy-efficient bulb that provides a beautiful light quality, your best option is an ENERGY STAR^® certified light emitting diode (LED) bulb. It’s important, however, to check for the blue ENERGY STAR label rather than just picking the cheapest LED off the shelf. Here’s why:

Benefits of LEDs

LEDs are an amazing advancement in lighting technology.

• They are up to 90% more energy efficient than traditional incandescent bulbs
• Their rated life is up to 25,000 hours, which means you might not need to replace one for more than 20 years
• They produce less heat, so there’s less risk of accidentally burning your fingers
• Most LED bulbs are shatter resistant, making them safer than old glass bulbs

However, not all LED bulbs live up to these awesome standards. Manufacturers and retailers have realized that customers like LED bulbs. In response, many of them have begun offering cheaper bulbs that they can sell for less money, but don’t necessarily perform as well.

How to Make Sure You Get Quality

Look for the ENERGY STAR. Many people associate the ENERGY STAR mark with energy efficiency, but fewer people are aware that it also indicates quality. Light bulbs that have earned the ENERGY STAR have undergone extensive third-party testing to verify that they save energy, perform as promised, and meet stringent standards related to lifetime, brightness, performance over time, and light direction, distribution, and color—among many other criteria.

Although it may not be obvious when looking at two bulbs side by side on a store shelf, there can be a number of quality and performance differences between ENERGY STAR certified and non-certified LED bulbs.

Next time you’re in the store looking for a light bulb, reach for an ENERGY STAR certified LED and feel confident you’re getting a quality bulb. And remember, The Sponsors of Mass Save^® offer discounts on ENERGY STAR certified lighting online and at many Massachusetts stores.

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