🩺 Personal Care & Health
How Much Does a Light Therapy (SAD) Lamp Cost to Run?
At the current U.S. average rate of 18.3¢/kWh (July 2026), a light therapy (sad) lamp costs about $0.19 per month at typical usage — 1 hour/day.
Per hour
0.6¢
at 20–75 W
Per day
0.6¢
1 hour/day
Per month
$0.19
1.1 kWh
Per year
$2.34
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
0.6¢
Per day
0.6¢
Per month
$0.19
Per year
$2.34
Uses 1.1 kWh/month at 18.3¢ 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | 12.7 | 0.4¢ | $0.14 | $1.62 |
| Nevada | 12.8 | 0.4¢ | $0.14 | $1.64 |
| Utah | 13.1 | 0.5¢ | $0.14 | $1.67 |
| North Dakota | 13.4 | 0.5¢ | $0.14 | $1.71 |
| Idaho | 13.7 | 0.5¢ | $0.15 | $1.75 |
| Tennessee | 13.7 | 0.5¢ | $0.15 | $1.75 |
| Kentucky | 13.8 | 0.5¢ | $0.15 | $1.76 |
| Nebraska | 13.8 | 0.5¢ | $0.15 | $1.76 |
| Arkansas | 14.3 | 0.5¢ | $0.15 | $1.83 |
| Oklahoma | 14.4 | 0.5¢ | $0.15 | $1.84 |
| Wyoming | 14.4 | 0.5¢ | $0.15 | $1.84 |
| Mississippi | 14.5 | 0.5¢ | $0.15 | $1.85 |
| Washington | 14.7 | 0.5¢ | $0.16 | $1.88 |
| Florida | 15.0 | 0.5¢ | $0.16 | $1.92 |
| Montana | 15.0 | 0.5¢ | $0.16 | $1.92 |
| North Carolina | 15.2 | 0.5¢ | $0.16 | $1.94 |
| Kansas | 15.3 | 0.5¢ | $0.16 | $1.95 |
| Arizona | 15.4 | 0.5¢ | $0.16 | $1.97 |
| South Dakota | 15.4 | 0.5¢ | $0.16 | $1.97 |
| South Carolina | 15.5 | 0.5¢ | $0.16 | $1.98 |
| West Virginia | 15.8 | 0.6¢ | $0.17 | $2.02 |
| Texas | 15.9 | 0.6¢ | $0.17 | $2.03 |
| Iowa | 16.0 | 0.6¢ | $0.17 | $2.04 |
| Oregon | 16.0 | 0.6¢ | $0.17 | $2.04 |
| Missouri | 16.1 | 0.6¢ | $0.17 | $2.06 |
| New Mexico | 16.1 | 0.6¢ | $0.17 | $2.06 |
| Georgia | 16.3 | 0.6¢ | $0.17 | $2.08 |
| Alabama | 16.4 | 0.6¢ | $0.17 | $2.10 |
| Indiana | 16.7 | 0.6¢ | $0.18 | $2.13 |
| Colorado | 17.0 | 0.6¢ | $0.18 | $2.17 |
| Minnesota | 17.5 | 0.6¢ | $0.19 | $2.24 |
| Virginia | 17.6 | 0.6¢ | $0.19 | $2.25 |
| Delaware | 18.5 | 0.6¢ | $0.20 | $2.36 |
| Wisconsin | 19.1 | 0.7¢ | $0.20 | $2.44 |
| Illinois | 19.2 | 0.7¢ | $0.20 | $2.45 |
| Ohio | 19.5 | 0.7¢ | $0.21 | $2.49 |
| Maryland | 21.4 | 0.7¢ | $0.23 | $2.73 |
| Pennsylvania | 21.7 | 0.8¢ | $0.23 | $2.77 |
| Michigan | 23.1 | 0.8¢ | $0.25 | $2.95 |
| Vermont | 23.8 | 0.8¢ | $0.25 | $3.04 |
| Connecticut | 24.2 | 0.8¢ | $0.26 | $3.09 |
| Washington, D.C. | 25.2 | 0.9¢ | $0.27 | $3.22 |
| New Jersey | 25.2 | 0.9¢ | $0.27 | $3.22 |
| New Hampshire | 26.6 | 0.9¢ | $0.28 | $3.40 |
| Rhode Island | 28.3 | 1.0¢ | $0.30 | $3.62 |
| Alaska | 28.8 | 1.0¢ | $0.31 | $3.68 |
| New York | 29.9 | 1.0¢ | $0.32 | $3.82 |
| Massachusetts | 30.5 | 1.1¢ | $0.32 | $3.90 |
| Maine | 32.4 | 1.1¢ | $0.34 | $4.14 |
| California | 33.6 | 1.2¢ | $0.36 | $4.29 |
| Hawaii | 48.0 | 1.7¢ | $0.51 | $6.13 |
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 18.3¢/kWh, one hour costs about 0.6¢. In Louisiana (12.7¢/kWh) it's 0.4¢, while in Hawaii (48¢/kWh) it's 1.7¢.
How much does a light therapy (sad) lamp cost to run per month?
With typical usage (1 hour/day), expect about $0.19 per month at the U.S. average rate — from $0.14 in Louisiana up to $0.51 in Hawaii. Rates are as of July 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.