💡 Lighting
How Much Does a Christmas Lights Cost to Run?
At the current U.S. average rate of 18.4¢/kWh (May 2026), a christmas lights costs about $1.68 per month at typical usage — 6 hours/day.
Per hour
0.9¢
at 10–300 W
Per day
5.5¢
6 hours/day
Per month
$1.68
9.1 kWh
Per year
$20.15
110 kWh
A modern all-LED holiday display often draws under 100 watts total, while the same footage of old incandescent strings can pull ten times that. December's light bill is almost entirely a question of which decade your lights were made in.
Calculate it for your home
Per hour
0.9¢
Per day
5.5¢
Per month
$1.68
Per year
$20.15
Uses 9.1 kWh/month at 18.4¢ per kWh.
Cheapest and most expensive states
Monthly cost at typical usage, using each state's current average residential rate.
Cost in every state
| State | Rate (¢/kWh) | Per hour | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Idaho | 12.4 | 0.6¢ | $1.13 | $13.58 |
| Utah | 13.0 | 0.7¢ | $1.19 | $14.24 |
| Oklahoma | 13.4 | 0.7¢ | $1.22 | $14.67 |
| Nebraska | 13.6 | 0.7¢ | $1.24 | $14.89 |
| Nevada | 13.6 | 0.7¢ | $1.24 | $14.89 |
| North Dakota | 13.6 | 0.7¢ | $1.24 | $14.89 |
| Missouri | 13.7 | 0.7¢ | $1.25 | $15.00 |
| Iowa | 14.1 | 0.7¢ | $1.29 | $15.44 |
| New Mexico | 14.1 | 0.7¢ | $1.29 | $15.44 |
| Louisiana | 14.2 | 0.7¢ | $1.30 | $15.55 |
| Arkansas | 14.4 | 0.7¢ | $1.31 | $15.77 |
| Tennessee | 14.5 | 0.7¢ | $1.32 | $15.88 |
| Montana | 14.7 | 0.7¢ | $1.34 | $16.10 |
| Wyoming | 14.8 | 0.7¢ | $1.35 | $16.21 |
| Kentucky | 15.0 | 0.8¢ | $1.37 | $16.43 |
| Washington | 15.0 | 0.8¢ | $1.37 | $16.43 |
| Kansas | 15.1 | 0.8¢ | $1.38 | $16.53 |
| North Carolina | 15.1 | 0.8¢ | $1.38 | $16.53 |
| Arizona | 15.2 | 0.8¢ | $1.39 | $16.64 |
| Florida | 15.2 | 0.8¢ | $1.39 | $16.64 |
| South Dakota | 15.7 | 0.8¢ | $1.43 | $17.19 |
| Georgia | 15.8 | 0.8¢ | $1.44 | $17.30 |
| Colorado | 16.2 | 0.8¢ | $1.48 | $17.74 |
| Mississippi | 16.2 | 0.8¢ | $1.48 | $17.74 |
| South Carolina | 16.2 | 0.8¢ | $1.48 | $17.74 |
| Oregon | 16.3 | 0.8¢ | $1.49 | $17.85 |
| Texas | 16.4 | 0.8¢ | $1.50 | $17.96 |
| Alabama | 16.8 | 0.8¢ | $1.53 | $18.40 |
| West Virginia | 16.8 | 0.8¢ | $1.53 | $18.40 |
| Minnesota | 17.0 | 0.9¢ | $1.55 | $18.62 |
| Virginia | 17.6 | 0.9¢ | $1.61 | $19.27 |
| Indiana | 18.2 | 0.9¢ | $1.66 | $19.93 |
| Delaware | 19.4 | 1.0¢ | $1.77 | $21.24 |
| Ohio | 19.5 | 1.0¢ | $1.78 | $21.35 |
| Wisconsin | 19.7 | 1.0¢ | $1.80 | $21.57 |
| Pennsylvania | 21.6 | 1.1¢ | $1.97 | $23.65 |
| Maryland | 21.8 | 1.1¢ | $1.99 | $23.87 |
| Michigan | 22.0 | 1.1¢ | $2.01 | $24.09 |
| New Jersey | 23.3 | 1.2¢ | $2.12 | $25.51 |
| Illinois | 23.9 | 1.2¢ | $2.18 | $26.17 |
| Vermont | 24.9 | 1.2¢ | $2.27 | $27.27 |
| Washington, D.C. | 25.4 | 1.3¢ | $2.32 | $27.81 |
| New Hampshire | 27.3 | 1.4¢ | $2.49 | $29.89 |
| Connecticut | 27.4 | 1.4¢ | $2.50 | $30.00 |
| Alaska | 28.2 | 1.4¢ | $2.57 | $30.88 |
| Maine | 28.6 | 1.4¢ | $2.61 | $31.32 |
| Massachusetts | 28.8 | 1.4¢ | $2.63 | $31.54 |
| Rhode Island | 29.5 | 1.5¢ | $2.69 | $32.30 |
| New York | 29.9 | 1.5¢ | $2.73 | $32.74 |
| California | 33.3 | 1.7¢ | $3.04 | $36.46 |
| Hawaii | 52.0 | 2.6¢ | $4.74 | $56.94 |
How to lower the cost
- Replace remaining incandescent and halogen bulbs with LEDs — the payback is measured in months.
- Use motion sensors or timers for outdoor and hallway lighting.
- Dimming an LED saves nearly proportionally — 70% brightness ≈ 70% of the power.
Frequently asked questions
How much electricity does a christmas lights use?
A typical christmas lights draws about 50 watts in use. At 6 hours/day, that works out to roughly 0.3 kWh per day, or 9.1 kWh per month.
How much does it cost to run a christmas lights for 1 hour?
At the current U.S. average residential rate of 18.4¢/kWh, one hour costs about 0.9¢. In Idaho (12.4¢/kWh) it's 0.6¢, while in Hawaii (52¢/kWh) it's 2.6¢.
How much does a christmas lights cost to run per month?
With typical usage (6 hours/day), expect about $1.68 per month at the U.S. average rate — from $1.13 in Idaho up to $4.74 in Hawaii. Rates are as of May 2026.
Does a christmas lights use a lot of electricity?
Not really — at typical usage it's under 1% of an average home's monthly consumption. Heating, cooling, hot water, and drying are the loads that move bills.