LED Light Bulb vs Incandescent Bulb: Which Costs Less to Run?
The most settled matchup in home energy, still worth quantifying because the numbers are so lopsided.
LED Light Bulb · per month
$0.25
5 hours/day · 5–15 W
Incandescent Bulb · per month
$1.67
5 hours/day · 40–100 W
Verdict
LED wins by roughly 85% per bulb — 9 watts doing the work of 60 — and lasts 15–25× longer. A whole-house conversion typically pays for itself within months. There is no scenario in which buying new incandescents makes financial sense; the only question left is how quickly you replace the survivors.
Side by side
| LED Light Bulb | Incandescent Bulb | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical power | 5–15 W | 40–100 W |
| Typical usage | 5 hours/day | 5 hours/day |
| Energy per month | 1.4 kWh | 9.1 kWh |
| Cost per month (US avg) | $0.25 | $1.67 |
| Cost per year (US avg) | $3.01 | $20.04 |
| Cost per month in Hawaii | $0.66 | $4.38 |
Rates as of July 2026. Adjust the assumptions on each appliance's page: LED Light Bulb · Incandescent Bulb.
Frequently asked questions
Which is cheaper to run: a led light bulb or a incandescent bulb?
At typical usage and the current U.S. average rate (18.3¢/kWh), the led light bulb is cheaper: about $0.25/month versus $1.67/month for the incandescent bulb — a difference of $1.42 per month.
How much could I save per year by choosing the led light bulb?
About $17.02 per year at typical usage and average rates. In Hawaii (48¢/kWh) the annual gap grows to roughly $44.65.
Do these numbers apply to my state?
The ratio between the two stays the same everywhere, but the dollar gap scales with your rate — from Louisiana at 12.7¢/kWh to Hawaii at 48¢/kWh. Open each appliance's page for the exact cost in your state.