Cost Difference in T5 vs. T8 Lights

T5 Lamps

• Aggressive marketing has led many users to wonder, is the T5 lamp the best fluorescent lamp on the market? The answer is both yes and no. T5 lamps are 5/8" in diameter and have the highest energy efficiency of any fluorescent lamp. Since their release in 1995, several generations of improvement have increased their light output and quality, and their ability to replace older T12 and T8 luminary structures. Still, T8 lamps control a larger share of the market.

T8 Lamps

• T8 lamps were introduced in 1981 to replace the T12 lamp. They are an inch thick. Though they are less efficient than the T5 lamp, they are significantly more efficient than the T12 lamp. In comparison, the T8 lamp is 40-percent more efficient than the T12 lamp while the T5 lamp is 51-percent more efficient.

Cost Differences

• A standard 4-foot T8 bulb costs between $1.75 and $2.50. A standard 4-foot T5 bulb costs between $5.50 and $10.50, so the T8 bulb is two to four times cheaper than that T5 bulb. Both bulbs will last for about 20,000 hours.

Other Considerations

• The T5 creates more usable light for longer than T8 and, as stated, uses less energy. The overall manufacturing costs for the T5 lamp, however, are still too expensive for its premium benefits, like its greater efficiency, to make it a better deal in the economic short or long-run than the T8 lamps. This could change in the future due to T5 manufacturing improvements and rising energy costs.