Have you ever wondered what would actually change if you switched to LED? You are probably too accustomed to the CFLs or tungsten lights you use right now, never done a long-term cost analysis and do not really imagine what kind of changes switching to LEDs will bring.

Let`s do a general cost analysis and compare the results of LEDs, CFLs and tungsten bulbs. I will take an electricity cost of 10 cents/KW and an average of 4 hours of light on per day, which means about 15000 hours of operating hours in ten years.

Let`s take the common tungsten lights first. If you have 10 incandescent bulbs in your small office, you will spend about $7.50 to purchase them and have an annual operating cost of approximately $84. Take into consideration that incandescent bulbs will be around for only 1000 hours (500 hours if you are lucky). There is also the additional cost generated by the fact that the air-conditioners will work harder to compensate for the heat emitted by the bulbs. Let`s see what happens in 10 years. In ten years, you will need to replace the light bulbs each year so in total you will spend $75 on the purchase and $840 on the bill, so $915 in total plus maintenance costs.

If you have 10 CFL`s in your small office you will spend about $110 to purchase them and have an annual operating cost of approximately $23. CFL`s will last for almost 10000 hours but they contain mercury and that could be a problem if you have people working for you and a hazard for the environment. If it is very cold or the lights are placed outside in the cold, they will need a couple of minutes to turn on and in some cases, they might not even work. Let`s see what happens in 10 years. In ten years, you will need to replace the light bulbs once and in total, you will spend $220 on the purchase and $230 on the bill so $450 in total plus considerable maintenance costs.

Now let`s see what happens if you have LED instead of CFL or Tungsten bulbs. If you have 10 LEDs in your small office you will spend about $390 to purchase them and have an annual operating cost of approximately $80. LEDs last will last for at least 50000 hours in any environment, whether is cold or warm, whether they suffer physical shocks or vibrations. Let`s see what happens in 10 years. In ten years you will not need to replace the LEDs and in total  you will spend $390 on the purchase and $80 on the bill, so $470 in total, but you will have no maintenance cost.

As you can see, it seems that incandescent bulbs are no option as they are the most expensive ones on the long term.

The first impression is that CFLs might be a little bit better than LEDs as the overall cost is a little bit lower (not counting maintenance costs).  The thing is that CFL will need another two or three replacements in the next years, while the LEDs will work just fine. In addition the maintenance cost will rise with the CFLs. CFLs are also a bio-hazard, they do not work always, take up a lot of space and give an unnatural light, so there are quite numerous advantages to LEDs when we compare them to CFLs so the slight disadvantage of LEDs in the first years can be easily ignored. Moreover, in 12 or 15 years the LEDs will prove to be more economical than all the other options.

Snow and ice are major concerns for homeowners throughout much of North America, and that usually means pulling out the snow shovel a few times each winter. Shoveling snow can be strenuous and uncomfortable work, but it's the only way to get those sidewalks and driveways clear -- or is it?

If you're familiar with radiant floor heating -- an HVAC solution that uses heated coils to warm a home from the floor up -- that same technology has applications outside the home, as well. Specifically, it's a great way to melt ice and snow off of walking and driving surfaces without having to grab a shovel or even venture outside.

Hard on the Pocketbook

Of course, there's a pretty big catch: the price. The equipment and installation can add a significant amount to any home building or remodeling project, especially if the surfaces you want to heat are far from the nearest power source. And that's just for the heating elements -- there's still the matter of removing the old surfaces and pouring new ones. All together, it can cost well into the tens of thousands of dollars to install radiant heating under the driveway and walkways of an average home.

For this reason, radiant heating is usually only a feature in new construction -- with a plan to install the equipment right from the outset, it's possible to shave thousands of dollars off the installation cost.

There's also the cost to operate the equipment, which can run several hundred dollars per winter for homes in especially snowy, icy climates. But for homeowners who dread shoveling every year, that could be a small price to pay.

Going Another Route

If you're not ready to drop thousands of dollars just to cut shoveling out of your life, there are several less pricey ways to keep surfaces clear and safe.

Heat mats. If you like the concept of using radiant heating outdoors but don't like the price tag, you might find a suitable compromise in heat mats. Available in a wide range of sizes, all-weather mats can be placed on your walkways and powered through extension cords to melt snow and ice as it falls. You'll still need to put them out before the winter weather arrives and stow them away after the storm, but it will at least spare you some shoveling.

Rock salt. It's cheap, it's easy to use and it's available at most hardware stores. It's also incredibly effective for melting ice. But it's not without its downsides -- rock salt can be corrosive to metal and even concrete, so you might expect some damage to your vehicles and surfaces over the course of many winters. It can also harm vegetation, pets and indoor surfaces like carpet if it's tracked inside. So if you use salt, use it with care.

Shovel early and often. You'll spend more time outdoors, but if you start shoveling in the middle of a storm, you may be able to prevent ice accumulation. You'll also make it a little easier on your back by shoveling lighter shovelfuls. It's not the ideal solution, but it beats slipping on a slick surface.

Thinking of installing a radiant heated driveway or walkway? Reach out to your local electrician to take the first steps, or just ask for more smart ways you can stay comfortable and safe throughout winter storm season.