How much does it cost to run Christmas lights?
EIA data · June 2026About $1.34 a month at the U.S. average price of 18.34¢ per kilowatt-hour — but that figure moves a long way depending on where you live. Set your state below.
7.3 kWh a month at the U.S. average, 18.34¢/kWh for June 2026. Excludes fixed charges, taxes and time-of-use rates, which vary by utility and are on your bill.
Typical 5–500 W. Use the figure on your own label if you have it.
A set of Christmas lights sits mid-table at #60 of 88, which means something else in the house costs more. See whether lighting or something else drives your bill.
Every figure here is priced per kilowatt-hour. What a kilowatt-hour actually is.
How many watts a set of Christmas lights uses
A 100-bulb LED string draws about 5 W. The same string in incandescent mini-bulbs draws roughly 40 W, and large C7 or C9 incandescent bulbs reach 350–500 W per string — which is the top of this range.
- Low
- 5 W
- Typical
- 40 W
- High
- 500 W
What it costs across the country
Same appliance, same usage, different electricity price. Annual cost at 40 W and the default usage above.
| State | ¢/kWh | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | 52.72 | $46.18 |
| California | 34.74 | $30.43 |
| Massachusetts | 29.61 | $25.94 |
| New York | 29.49 | $25.83 |
| Ohio | 19.19 | $16.81 |
| Texas | 15.94 | $13.96 |
| Florida | 15.10 | $13.23 |
| Utah | 13.37 | $11.71 |
| Nebraska | 13.25 | $11.61 |
| Nevada | 13.11 | $11.48 |
Worth knowing
- The gap between LED and incandescent is larger here than for any other lighting: roughly eightfold on mini-bulbs and far more on the large outdoor types.
- The cost is genuinely seasonal — six weeks of six hours a day is about 250 hours, so even old strings rarely become expensive.
- Older incandescent strings are also the ones most likely to be a fire risk, which matters more than the electricity.
Other appliances
- Light bulb
- LED strip lights
- Outdoor security light
- Grow light
- Space heater
- Central air conditioner
- Window air conditioner
- Electric water heater
Prices are statewide residential averages for June 2026 from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. They exclude fixed monthly charges, taxes and time-of-use rates. See how these figures are calculated.