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How much does it cost to run a string of Christmas lights?
At the U.S. average residential price of 18.16¢ per kilowatt-hour (August 2026), running a string of Christmas lights costs about $1.23 a year. Your own bill depends on your state's rate, which ranges from 12.72¢ to 47.18¢ across the country.
- Per hour
- 0.5¢
- Per day of use
- 2.7¢
- Per month
- 10.2¢
- Per year
- $1.23
Assumption: 25 W, 6 hours a day, 45 days a year — 7 kWh a year. Per 100-count LED string. A 100-count incandescent string draws roughly 40 W, and older C9 bulbs far more.
Cost by state
Same appliance, same usage, 51 different prices. Sorted cheapest first.
| State | Rate | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nevada | 12.72¢ | 7.2¢ | 85.9¢ |
| Louisiana | 12.87¢ | 7.2¢ | 86.9¢ |
| North Dakota | 13.31¢ | 7.5¢ | 89.8¢ |
| Utah | 13.31¢ | 7.5¢ | 89.8¢ |
| Idaho | 13.37¢ | 7.5¢ | 90.2¢ |
| Tennessee | 13.42¢ | 7.5¢ | 90.6¢ |
| Nebraska | 13.54¢ | 7.6¢ | 91.4¢ |
| Kentucky | 13.80¢ | 7.8¢ | 93.2¢ |
| Arkansas | 14.37¢ | 8.1¢ | 97.0¢ |
| Mississippi | 14.43¢ | 8.1¢ | 97.4¢ |
| Wyoming | 14.43¢ | 8.1¢ | 97.4¢ |
| Washington | 14.63¢ | 8.2¢ | 98.8¢ |
| Oklahoma | 14.82¢ | 8.3¢ | $1.00 |
| North Carolina | 14.95¢ | 8.4¢ | $1.01 |
| Florida | 14.99¢ | 8.4¢ | $1.01 |
| Arizona | 15.05¢ | 8.5¢ | $1.02 |
| South Dakota | 15.15¢ | 8.5¢ | $1.02 |
| Kansas | 15.47¢ | 8.7¢ | $1.04 |
| Montana | 15.57¢ | 8.8¢ | $1.05 |
| South Carolina | 15.76¢ | 8.9¢ | $1.06 |
| Georgia | 15.90¢ | 8.9¢ | $1.07 |
| Texas | 15.91¢ | 8.9¢ | $1.07 |
| Oregon | 15.92¢ | 9.0¢ | $1.07 |
| Missouri | 16.02¢ | 9.0¢ | $1.08 |
| West Virginia | 16.31¢ | 9.2¢ | $1.10 |
| Alabama | 16.33¢ | 9.2¢ | $1.10 |
| New Mexico | 16.51¢ | 9.3¢ | $1.11 |
| Indiana | 17.02¢ | 9.6¢ | $1.15 |
| Iowa | 17.06¢ | 9.6¢ | $1.15 |
| Colorado | 17.17¢ | 9.7¢ | $1.16 |
| Minnesota | 17.20¢ | 9.7¢ | $1.16 |
| Virginia | 17.64¢ | 9.9¢ | $1.19 |
| Delaware | 18.70¢ | 10.5¢ | $1.26 |
| Illinois | 19.32¢ | 10.9¢ | $1.30 |
| Ohio | 19.38¢ | 10.9¢ | $1.31 |
| Wisconsin | 19.41¢ | 10.9¢ | $1.31 |
| Maryland | 21.40¢ | 12.0¢ | $1.44 |
| Pennsylvania | 21.77¢ | 12.2¢ | $1.47 |
| Michigan | 22.99¢ | 12.9¢ | $1.55 |
| Vermont | 23.84¢ | 13.4¢ | $1.61 |
| Connecticut | 24.51¢ | 13.8¢ | $1.65 |
| New Jersey | 24.61¢ | 13.8¢ | $1.66 |
| District of Columbia | 25.98¢ | 14.6¢ | $1.75 |
| New Hampshire | 27.64¢ | 15.5¢ | $1.87 |
| Rhode Island | 28.18¢ | 15.9¢ | $1.90 |
| New York | 28.65¢ | 16.1¢ | $1.93 |
| Alaska | 29.41¢ | 16.5¢ | $1.99 |
| California | 29.75¢ | 16.7¢ | $2.01 |
| Massachusetts | 30.48¢ | 17.1¢ | $2.06 |
| Maine | 32.11¢ | 18.1¢ | $2.17 |
| Hawaii | 47.18¢ | 26.5¢ | $3.18 |
Cutting the number down
- A timer that runs the display six hours instead of twelve halves the season's cost with nobody noticing.
- Incandescent strings are where holiday bills come from; LED strings of the same length are a fraction of the draw.
Questions
- How many watts does a string of Christmas lights use?
- About 25 W while running.
- How much does a string of Christmas lights cost per month?
- About 10.2¢ a month at the U.S. average rate, or $1.23 a year.
- Where is it cheapest to run?
- Nevada, at 85.9¢ a year, versus $3.18 in Hawaii — a spread of $2.33.