🩺 Personal Care & Health
How Much Does a Light Therapy (SAD) Lamp Cost to Run?
At the current U.S. average rate of 18.8¢/kWh (April 2026), a light therapy (sad) lamp costs about $0.20 per month at typical usage — 1 hour/day.
Per hour
0.7¢
at 20–75 W
Per day
0.7¢
1 hour/day
Per month
$0.20
1.1 kWh
Per year
$2.40
13 kWh
A 10,000-lux therapy lamp draws 20–75 watts for a typical 30-minute morning session. An entire winter of daily use costs less than a single latte.
Calculate it for your home
Per hour
0.7¢
Per day
0.7¢
Per month
$0.20
Per year
$2.40
Uses 1.1 kWh/month at 18.8¢ 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Dakota | 12.4 | 0.4¢ | $0.13 | $1.58 |
| Idaho | 12.7 | 0.4¢ | $0.14 | $1.62 |
| Nebraska | 13.3 | 0.5¢ | $0.14 | $1.70 |
| Oklahoma | 13.3 | 0.5¢ | $0.14 | $1.70 |
| Utah | 13.3 | 0.5¢ | $0.14 | $1.70 |
| Iowa | 13.9 | 0.5¢ | $0.15 | $1.78 |
| Montana | 13.9 | 0.5¢ | $0.15 | $1.78 |
| Missouri | 14.0 | 0.5¢ | $0.15 | $1.79 |
| Arkansas | 14.2 | 0.5¢ | $0.15 | $1.81 |
| Nevada | 14.3 | 0.5¢ | $0.15 | $1.83 |
| Louisiana | 14.4 | 0.5¢ | $0.15 | $1.84 |
| Washington | 14.4 | 0.5¢ | $0.15 | $1.84 |
| South Dakota | 14.5 | 0.5¢ | $0.15 | $1.85 |
| Wyoming | 14.7 | 0.5¢ | $0.16 | $1.88 |
| Tennessee | 14.9 | 0.5¢ | $0.16 | $1.90 |
| Kentucky | 15.0 | 0.5¢ | $0.16 | $1.92 |
| New Mexico | 15.2 | 0.5¢ | $0.16 | $1.94 |
| Florida | 15.4 | 0.5¢ | $0.16 | $1.97 |
| Georgia | 15.4 | 0.5¢ | $0.16 | $1.97 |
| Arizona | 15.5 | 0.5¢ | $0.16 | $1.98 |
| Kansas | 15.8 | 0.6¢ | $0.17 | $2.02 |
| Oregon | 15.8 | 0.6¢ | $0.17 | $2.02 |
| West Virginia | 16.1 | 0.6¢ | $0.17 | $2.06 |
| North Carolina | 16.3 | 0.6¢ | $0.17 | $2.08 |
| Minnesota | 16.4 | 0.6¢ | $0.17 | $2.10 |
| Colorado | 16.5 | 0.6¢ | $0.18 | $2.11 |
| Mississippi | 16.8 | 0.6¢ | $0.18 | $2.15 |
| Texas | 17.0 | 0.6¢ | $0.18 | $2.17 |
| South Carolina | 17.1 | 0.6¢ | $0.18 | $2.18 |
| Alabama | 17.4 | 0.6¢ | $0.19 | $2.22 |
| Virginia | 17.4 | 0.6¢ | $0.19 | $2.22 |
| Indiana | 17.9 | 0.6¢ | $0.19 | $2.29 |
| Delaware | 18.8 | 0.7¢ | $0.20 | $2.40 |
| Wisconsin | 19.2 | 0.7¢ | $0.20 | $2.45 |
| Ohio | 19.5 | 0.7¢ | $0.21 | $2.49 |
| Illinois | 20.5 | 0.7¢ | $0.22 | $2.62 |
| Michigan | 21.4 | 0.7¢ | $0.23 | $2.73 |
| Pennsylvania | 21.5 | 0.8¢ | $0.23 | $2.75 |
| Maryland | 22.1 | 0.8¢ | $0.24 | $2.82 |
| New Jersey | 23.5 | 0.8¢ | $0.25 | $3.00 |
| Vermont | 24.6 | 0.9¢ | $0.26 | $3.14 |
| Washington, D.C. | 25.4 | 0.9¢ | $0.27 | $3.24 |
| New Hampshire | 27.2 | 1.0¢ | $0.29 | $3.47 |
| Alaska | 27.4 | 1.0¢ | $0.29 | $3.50 |
| Rhode Island | 28.3 | 1.0¢ | $0.30 | $3.62 |
| Maine | 28.4 | 1.0¢ | $0.30 | $3.63 |
| Massachusetts | 29.5 | 1.0¢ | $0.31 | $3.77 |
| New York | 29.5 | 1.0¢ | $0.31 | $3.77 |
| Connecticut | 32.2 | 1.1¢ | $0.34 | $4.11 |
| California | 35.3 | 1.2¢ | $0.38 | $4.51 |
| Hawaii | 46.6 | 1.6¢ | $0.50 | $5.95 |
How to lower the cost
- Heat-producing devices (dryers, irons, beds) dominate this category — minutes of use, not watts, drive cost.
- Medical devices that run all night or all day may qualify for utility medical-rate discounts — ask your provider.
- Chargers left plugged in draw almost nothing on modern hardware; focus on bigger loads.
Frequently asked questions
How much electricity does a light therapy (sad) lamp use?
A typical light therapy (sad) lamp draws about 35 watts in use. At 1 hour/day, that works out to roughly 0.0 kWh per day, or 1.1 kWh per month.
How much does it cost to run a light therapy (sad) lamp for 1 hour?
At the current U.S. average residential rate of 18.8¢/kWh, one hour costs about 0.7¢. In North Dakota (12.4¢/kWh) it's 0.4¢, while in Hawaii (46.6¢/kWh) it's 1.6¢.
How much does a light therapy (sad) lamp cost to run per month?
With typical usage (1 hour/day), expect about $0.20 per month at the U.S. average rate — from $0.13 in North Dakota up to $0.50 in Hawaii. Rates are as of April 2026.
Does a light therapy (sad) lamp 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.