Next Generation Philips 75 & 100 Watt LED Equivalents Achieve ENERGY STAR Certification and Could Sell for $10-15 After Rebates

SOMERSET, N.J., Feb. 18, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Philips, the global leader in lighting, continues to deliver on the company's commitment to making quality LED bulbs more affordable for consumers with its second generation 75-watt and 100-watt LED equivalent bulbs that are now ENERGY STAR certified. With utility rebates of up to $10 per bulb, these latest additions to the industry's largest portfolio of ENERGY STAR certified products may be found on shelves for as little as $9.97 and $14.97 respectively. 

Even without utility rebates, Philips has worked with The Home Depot to offer new lower pricing: $19.97 for the Philips 15-watt LED (75-watt equivalent) and $24.97 for the Philips 19-watt A21 (100-watt equivalent).  With over 90 ENERGY STAR certified LEDs, including the Philips 10-watt A19 (60-watt equivalent), the first LED bulb to achieve a price point below $5 after utility rebates, Philips offers the most affordable quality LED bulbs on the market. 

The Philips 15-watt A19 and 19-watt A21 are second generation bulbs that offer the same quality white cap as the rest of the Philips retrofit bulb lines, while also gaining two watts in efficiency over their first generation predecessors, which were introduced two years ago. In addition to offering familiar, soft white light, these Philips bulbs fit into existing fixtures and work with standard dimmers, giving consumers a simple, long-lasting solution for the home.

Philips estimates that about 90 million 75-watt incandescent light bulbs are sold annually, while the 100-watt incandescent accounts for nearly 25 percent of the 4.4 billion sockets found in the U.S. Switching to these LED replacements has the potential to reduce energy use by over 86 million megawatts of electricity per year with potential cost savings of more than $8.5 billion.  According to Philips estimates, it could also eliminate 63 million metric tons of carbon emissions annually, or the equivalent of removing nearly 13 million cars from the road.

"We continually innovate our retrofit lines, increasing the efficiency of our products and ensuring they offer the light quality that consumers expect, while finding ways to make them more cost-effective," said Bruno Biasiotta, president and CEO of Philips Lighting Americas. "Over the last few years, we have worked closely with national utilities to develop one of the most robust rebate programs in the industry, helping to demonstrate to consumers that they are getting a quality product, while working to make the LED bulbs that will be in your home for decades increasingly affordable."

As with all bulbs in the Philips LED retrofit lighting family, these LED bulbs have a rated life of 25 times longer than a standard incandescent. Over their lifespan, the 15-watt A19 and 19-watt A21 can save households or businesses about $160-180 per bulb, giving consumers more choices than ever before to reduce energy costs. For those within the retail or hospitality sector, the bulb will provide a substantial return on investment, through extended bulb life and reduced energy and maintenance costs.

About Royal Philips:
Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a diversified health and well-being company, focused on improving people's lives through meaningful innovation in the areas of Healthcare, Consumer Lifestyle and Lighting. Headquartered in the Netherlands, Philips posted 2013 sales of EUR 23.3 billion and employs approximately 115,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries. The company is a leader in cardiac care, acute care and home healthcare, energy efficient lighting solutions and new lighting applications, as well as male shaving and grooming and oral healthcare. News from Philips is located at www.philips.com/newscenter.

SOURCE Royal Philips