When diving into the smart life, there is one question on everyone’s minds: Do Smart Bulbs Use Electricity When Off? Yes, smart bulbs do use a small amount of energy when off, but not as much as you expect.
LED bulbs are energy-efficient and according to Energy.gov, it saves up to 75% of energy compared to traditional bulbs. Because smart bulbs are considered “vampire appliances” they use electricity when they are turned off.
A smart bulb allows you to remotely control them so you can perform duties like adjusting their brightness and much more. Bulbs like Philips Hue has a bridge that groups and offers a seamless connection between devices.
It is one of the first home automated devices, homeowners purchase if they want to enter the smart home lifestyle. Most smart bulbs connect to Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, ZigBee with a smartphone app, or a home/building automation hub operating smart bulbs.
What Are Vampire Appliance And Why Are Smart Bulbs Are One
Vampire power is also called standby power or energy leakage. When electrical energy is disabled, they draw energy when in standby mode.
Vampire devices are electricity-consuming devices even though they’re “off,” so they’re always on standby, like your TV, your electric clock, and anything with a miniature device. Besides, even though you’re not physically using them, they are still connected to the wall, so they still use energy.
A smart bulb is an LED light bulb that has the embedded technology connect to a common network like Wi-Fi And Bluetooth. Therefore, for you to turn on your smart bulb with your phone or voice commands, they need to connect with the internet.
Led lights already use little energy when they are on, they use way less when they are turned “off” so again, you have nothing to worry about.
Lets Explore LEDs Impact On Your Electric Bill
Let’s explore how much energy Smart LED bulbs use and what your power bill entails. LED bulbs consume less electricity in comparison to fluorescent and CFL bulbs.
They use about 75 percent fewer than traditional light bulbs. Because smart bulbs are expensive, most people can’t afford them. For instance, a Philips Hue product can cost $30-200 and with the additional bridge is an extra $50.
If you look at one single LED bulb running at 10 Watts for 5 hours a day @ $0.10 per kWh, then your estimated cost per year $1.83. So, when your smart bulb is off, it uses as little as pennies. However, if you have 20 smart bulbs in your home, it can reach dollars when off, but it’s a small price to pay.
| LED | CFL | Incandescent | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lifespan in hours | 10,000 | 9,000 | 1,000 |
| Watts (equivalent 60 watts) | 10 | 14 | 60 |
| Cost per bulb | $2.50 | $2.40 | $1.25 |
| Daily cost* | $0.005 | $0.007 | $0.03 |
| Annual cost* | $1.83 | $2.56 | $10.95 |
| Cost for 50k hours @ $0.10 kWh | $50 | $70 | $300 |
| Bulbs needed for 50k hours | 5 | 5.5 | 50 |
| Total cost for 50k hours with bulb price | $62.50 | $83.20 | $362.50 |
LED lighting has been very popular in recent years. The addition of smart bulbs has changed the way we view our lights. While smart bulbs use energy when they are “off” it is not much. LED bulbs are energy-efficient and already use less electricity than a traditional bulb.
LEDs and smart bulbs are expensive but considering the higher lifespan, and their environment-friendly attributes, they are a better choice.
