💡 Lighting
How Much Does a LED Light Bulb Cost to Run?
At the current U.S. average rate of 18.4¢/kWh (May 2026), a led light bulb costs about $0.25 per month at typical usage — 5 hours/day.
Per hour
0.2¢
at 5–15 W
Per day
0.8¢
5 hours/day
Per month
$0.25
1.4 kWh
Per year
$3.02
16 kWh
A standard 60-watt-equivalent LED draws about 9 watts — lighting an entire room for less than a penny an hour. A whole house converted to LED typically spends less on lighting in a month than one incandescent bulb used to.
Calculate it for your home
Per hour
0.2¢
Per day
0.8¢
Per month
$0.25
Per year
$3.02
Uses 1.4 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 | 0.1¢ | $0.17 | $2.04 |
| Utah | 13.0 | 0.1¢ | $0.18 | $2.14 |
| Oklahoma | 13.4 | 0.1¢ | $0.18 | $2.20 |
| Nebraska | 13.6 | 0.1¢ | $0.19 | $2.23 |
| Nevada | 13.6 | 0.1¢ | $0.19 | $2.23 |
| North Dakota | 13.6 | 0.1¢ | $0.19 | $2.23 |
| Missouri | 13.7 | 0.1¢ | $0.19 | $2.25 |
| Iowa | 14.1 | 0.1¢ | $0.19 | $2.32 |
| New Mexico | 14.1 | 0.1¢ | $0.19 | $2.32 |
| Louisiana | 14.2 | 0.1¢ | $0.19 | $2.33 |
| Arkansas | 14.4 | 0.1¢ | $0.20 | $2.37 |
| Tennessee | 14.5 | 0.1¢ | $0.20 | $2.38 |
| Montana | 14.7 | 0.1¢ | $0.20 | $2.41 |
| Wyoming | 14.8 | 0.1¢ | $0.20 | $2.43 |
| Kentucky | 15.0 | 0.1¢ | $0.21 | $2.46 |
| Washington | 15.0 | 0.1¢ | $0.21 | $2.46 |
| Kansas | 15.1 | 0.1¢ | $0.21 | $2.48 |
| North Carolina | 15.1 | 0.1¢ | $0.21 | $2.48 |
| Arizona | 15.2 | 0.1¢ | $0.21 | $2.50 |
| Florida | 15.2 | 0.1¢ | $0.21 | $2.50 |
| South Dakota | 15.7 | 0.1¢ | $0.21 | $2.58 |
| Georgia | 15.8 | 0.1¢ | $0.22 | $2.60 |
| Colorado | 16.2 | 0.1¢ | $0.22 | $2.66 |
| Mississippi | 16.2 | 0.1¢ | $0.22 | $2.66 |
| South Carolina | 16.2 | 0.1¢ | $0.22 | $2.66 |
| Oregon | 16.3 | 0.1¢ | $0.22 | $2.68 |
| Texas | 16.4 | 0.1¢ | $0.22 | $2.69 |
| Alabama | 16.8 | 0.2¢ | $0.23 | $2.76 |
| West Virginia | 16.8 | 0.2¢ | $0.23 | $2.76 |
| Minnesota | 17.0 | 0.2¢ | $0.23 | $2.79 |
| Virginia | 17.6 | 0.2¢ | $0.24 | $2.89 |
| Indiana | 18.2 | 0.2¢ | $0.25 | $2.99 |
| Delaware | 19.4 | 0.2¢ | $0.27 | $3.19 |
| Ohio | 19.5 | 0.2¢ | $0.27 | $3.20 |
| Wisconsin | 19.7 | 0.2¢ | $0.27 | $3.24 |
| Pennsylvania | 21.6 | 0.2¢ | $0.30 | $3.55 |
| Maryland | 21.8 | 0.2¢ | $0.30 | $3.58 |
| Michigan | 22.0 | 0.2¢ | $0.30 | $3.61 |
| New Jersey | 23.3 | 0.2¢ | $0.32 | $3.83 |
| Illinois | 23.9 | 0.2¢ | $0.33 | $3.93 |
| Vermont | 24.9 | 0.2¢ | $0.34 | $4.09 |
| Washington, D.C. | 25.4 | 0.2¢ | $0.35 | $4.17 |
| New Hampshire | 27.3 | 0.2¢ | $0.37 | $4.48 |
| Connecticut | 27.4 | 0.2¢ | $0.37 | $4.50 |
| Alaska | 28.2 | 0.3¢ | $0.39 | $4.63 |
| Maine | 28.6 | 0.3¢ | $0.39 | $4.70 |
| Massachusetts | 28.8 | 0.3¢ | $0.39 | $4.73 |
| Rhode Island | 29.5 | 0.3¢ | $0.40 | $4.85 |
| New York | 29.9 | 0.3¢ | $0.41 | $4.91 |
| California | 33.3 | 0.3¢ | $0.46 | $5.47 |
| Hawaii | 52.0 | 0.5¢ | $0.71 | $8.54 |
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 led light bulb use?
A typical led light bulb draws about 9 watts in use. At 5 hours/day, that works out to roughly 0.0 kWh per day, or 1.4 kWh per month.
How much does it cost to run a led light bulb for 1 hour?
At the current U.S. average residential rate of 18.4¢/kWh, one hour costs about 0.2¢. In Idaho (12.4¢/kWh) it's 0.1¢, while in Hawaii (52¢/kWh) it's 0.5¢.
How much does a led light bulb cost to run per month?
With typical usage (5 hours/day), expect about $0.25 per month at the U.S. average rate — from $0.17 in Idaho up to $0.71 in Hawaii. Rates are as of May 2026.
Does a led light bulb 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.