How much does it cost to run a light bulb?
EIA data · June 2026About 25.1¢ 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.
1.4 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 5–60 W. Use the figure on your own label if you have it.
A light bulb sits mid-table at #83 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 light bulb uses
A standard LED bulb producing about 800 lumens — the brightness of an old 60 W incandescent — draws roughly 8–10 W. The top of the range is that same 60 W incandescent, kept for comparison.
- Low
- 5 W
- Typical
- 9 W
- High
- 60 W
What it costs across the country
Same appliance, same usage, different electricity price. Annual cost at 9 W and the default usage above.
| State | ¢/kWh | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | 52.72 | $8.66 |
| California | 34.74 | $5.71 |
| Massachusetts | 29.61 | $4.86 |
| New York | 29.49 | $4.84 |
| Ohio | 19.19 | $3.15 |
| Texas | 15.94 | $2.62 |
| Florida | 15.10 | $2.48 |
| Utah | 13.37 | $2.20 |
| Nebraska | 13.25 | $2.18 |
| Nevada | 13.11 | $2.15 |
Worth knowing
- Swapping one 60 W incandescent for a 9 W LED cuts that bulb’s running cost by about 85% for the same light output.
- Lumens measure light; watts measure electricity. Buy on lumens and treat watts as the running cost.
- Lighting is a small share of a modern home’s bill. The savings are real, but they are measured in dollars per year per bulb rather than per month.
Other appliances
- LED strip lights
- Outdoor security light
- Christmas lights
- 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.