LED vs Traditional Lighting — Why Florida Homeowners Are Switching
Published January 30, 2026 • 6 min read • By Donny McGuire
If you are still running incandescent or halogen bulbs anywhere in your house, you are throwing money away. I do not say that to sell you anything — I say it because the math is simple and the difference is real, especially in Florida where your AC already works overtime.
Here is what I tell homeowners when they ask me about switching to LED.
The Energy Savings Are Significant
An LED bulb uses about 75 to 80 percent less electricity than an incandescent bulb for the same amount of light. A 10-watt LED produces the same brightness as a 60-watt incandescent. That is not a small difference.
If you have 30 light fixtures in your house (pretty average for a Sarasota-area home) and you are running them 5 hours a day, switching from incandescent to LED can save you $150 to $250 a year on your FPL bill. Over the 15 to 25 year lifespan of the LEDs, that adds up fast.
And you are not just saving on lighting costs. Every watt of heat your light bulbs produce is heat your AC has to remove. Which brings me to the next point.
They Run Much Cooler — and That Matters in Florida
An incandescent bulb converts about 90 percent of its energy into heat and only 10 percent into light. Touch one that has been on for 20 minutes and you will burn your fingers. Now multiply that by 30 fixtures in your house — that is a lot of heat being dumped into your living space.
In Florida, where your air conditioning runs six to eight months a year, that heat matters. Your AC has to work harder to remove it, which means higher energy bills and more wear on your HVAC system.
LEDs produce very little heat. A 10-watt LED puts out far less heat than a 60-watt incandescent, even though they produce the same amount of light. In a climate like ours, that adds up to real comfort and real savings.
They Last 15 to 25 Times Longer
A typical incandescent bulb lasts about 1,000 hours. An LED lasts 25,000 to 50,000 hours. Even a mid-range LED rated at 25,000 hours will last over 13 years if you run it 5 hours a day.
That means you are not climbing a ladder every few months to change a burned-out bulb in the kitchen can light. For recessed lights, outdoor fixtures, and high-ceiling applications, the extended lifespan alone makes LEDs worth it.
For pool cage lighting, this is especially important. The LED strips I install in screen enclosures are rated for 50,000+ hours. Once they are up, you do not have to think about them for years. I go into more detail on this in the pool cage lighting guide.
Color Temperature — You Get to Choose the Mood
Old incandescent bulbs gave you one color: warm yellowish white. That was it. LEDs let you choose the exact color temperature for every room and fixture.
- 2700K (warm white) — This matches the warm glow of traditional incandescents. Great for living rooms, bedrooms, and dining areas. It is cozy and inviting.
- 3000K (soft white) — Slightly cooler and brighter. Popular for kitchens, bathrooms, and task areas.
- 4000K (neutral white) — Clean and bright. Good for garages, laundry rooms, and workspaces.
- 5000K+ (daylight) — Very bright and blue-white. Useful for workshops and detail work, but too harsh for living spaces.
For outdoor lighting in Florida, I typically recommend 2700K to 3000K. Warmer tones attract fewer insects, which any Florida homeowner can appreciate.
Dimming Works Great Now
Early LEDs had a reputation for not dimming well — they would flicker, buzz, or only work down to about 30 percent brightness. That was a real issue five or ten years ago. It is not anymore.
Modern dimmable LEDs work smoothly from 100 percent down to 5 or 10 percent with the right dimmer switch. The key is making sure you use an LED-compatible dimmer. Old-style dimmers designed for incandescent bulbs can cause problems with LEDs. If you are switching to LED throughout your home, I usually recommend replacing the dimmer switches at the same time.
Outdoor and Pool Cage Applications
LEDs are the only practical choice for outdoor lighting in Florida. They hold up to humidity, they do not burn out from thermal cycling (the daily swing from cool mornings to 95-degree afternoons), and they work in wet-rated fixtures without the heat issues that plague halogen and incandescent outdoor lights.
For pool cage lighting, LEDs are the entire system. RGB and RGBW LED strips give you full color control with virtually zero heat output and minimal energy draw. A full pool cage lighting system might use 100 to 200 watts total — about what two old incandescent flood lights would use.
For landscape lighting — path lights, uplights, and accent fixtures — LED landscape bulbs have largely replaced halogen. They last longer, use a fraction of the energy, and the transformers can be smaller.
What About the Upfront Cost?
LEDs cost more per bulb than incandescents, but the gap has closed dramatically. A quality LED bulb now runs $2 to $5 per bulb at the hardware store. When you factor in the energy savings and the fact that you will not need to replace them for 10+ years, LEDs are cheaper overall.
For recessed lights, I often recommend LED retrofit kits that replace the entire fixture head with an integrated LED module. These give you a cleaner look, better efficiency, and no separate bulb to replace.
Ready to Make the Switch?
If you want to talk about updating the lighting in your home — whether it is switching to LED, adding new fixtures, or doing a full outdoor lighting installation — give me a call at (941) 539-8892. I can help you figure out the right approach and give you a straight answer on what it will cost.
