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How much does it cost to run an incandescent bulb?
At the U.S. average residential price of 18.16¢ per kilowatt-hour (August 2026), running an incandescent bulb costs about $19.89 a year. Your own bill depends on your state's rate, which ranges from 12.72¢ to 47.18¢ across the country.
- Per hour
- 1.1¢
- Per day of use
- 5.4¢
- Per month
- $1.66
- Per year
- $19.89
Assumption: 60 W, 5 hours a day, 365 days a year — 110 kWh a year. A 60 W bulb producing roughly the same 800 lumens as a 9 W LED.
Cost by state
Same appliance, same usage, 51 different prices. Sorted cheapest first.
| State | Rate | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nevada | 12.72¢ | $1.16 | $13.93 |
| Louisiana | 12.87¢ | $1.17 | $14.09 |
| North Dakota | 13.31¢ | $1.21 | $14.57 |
| Utah | 13.31¢ | $1.21 | $14.57 |
| Idaho | 13.37¢ | $1.22 | $14.64 |
| Tennessee | 13.42¢ | $1.22 | $14.69 |
| Nebraska | 13.54¢ | $1.24 | $14.83 |
| Kentucky | 13.80¢ | $1.26 | $15.11 |
| Arkansas | 14.37¢ | $1.31 | $15.74 |
| Mississippi | 14.43¢ | $1.32 | $15.80 |
| Wyoming | 14.43¢ | $1.32 | $15.80 |
| Washington | 14.63¢ | $1.33 | $16.02 |
| Oklahoma | 14.82¢ | $1.35 | $16.23 |
| North Carolina | 14.95¢ | $1.36 | $16.37 |
| Florida | 14.99¢ | $1.37 | $16.41 |
| Arizona | 15.05¢ | $1.37 | $16.48 |
| South Dakota | 15.15¢ | $1.38 | $16.59 |
| Kansas | 15.47¢ | $1.41 | $16.94 |
| Montana | 15.57¢ | $1.42 | $17.05 |
| South Carolina | 15.76¢ | $1.44 | $17.26 |
| Georgia | 15.90¢ | $1.45 | $17.41 |
| Texas | 15.91¢ | $1.45 | $17.42 |
| Oregon | 15.92¢ | $1.45 | $17.43 |
| Missouri | 16.02¢ | $1.46 | $17.54 |
| West Virginia | 16.31¢ | $1.49 | $17.86 |
| Alabama | 16.33¢ | $1.49 | $17.88 |
| New Mexico | 16.51¢ | $1.51 | $18.08 |
| Indiana | 17.02¢ | $1.55 | $18.64 |
| Iowa | 17.06¢ | $1.56 | $18.68 |
| Colorado | 17.17¢ | $1.57 | $18.80 |
| Minnesota | 17.20¢ | $1.57 | $18.83 |
| Virginia | 17.64¢ | $1.61 | $19.32 |
| Delaware | 18.70¢ | $1.71 | $20.48 |
| Illinois | 19.32¢ | $1.76 | $21.16 |
| Ohio | 19.38¢ | $1.77 | $21.22 |
| Wisconsin | 19.41¢ | $1.77 | $21.25 |
| Maryland | 21.40¢ | $1.95 | $23.43 |
| Pennsylvania | 21.77¢ | $1.99 | $23.84 |
| Michigan | 22.99¢ | $2.10 | $25.17 |
| Vermont | 23.84¢ | $2.18 | $26.10 |
| Connecticut | 24.51¢ | $2.24 | $26.84 |
| New Jersey | 24.61¢ | $2.25 | $26.95 |
| District of Columbia | 25.98¢ | $2.37 | $28.45 |
| New Hampshire | 27.64¢ | $2.52 | $30.27 |
| Rhode Island | 28.18¢ | $2.57 | $30.86 |
| New York | 28.65¢ | $2.61 | $31.37 |
| Alaska | 29.41¢ | $2.68 | $32.20 |
| California | 29.75¢ | $2.71 | $32.58 |
| Massachusetts | 30.48¢ | $2.78 | $33.38 |
| Maine | 32.11¢ | $2.93 | $35.16 |
| Hawaii | 47.18¢ | $4.31 | $51.66 |
Cutting the number down
- The comparison is the point: identical light, nearly seven times the electricity, for the whole life of the bulb.
- Replacing the handful of bulbs that burn the most hours captures most of the available saving immediately.
Questions
- How many watts does an incandescent bulb use?
- About 60 W while running.
- How much does an incandescent bulb cost per month?
- About $1.66 a month at the U.S. average rate, or $19.89 a year.
- Where is it cheapest to run?
- Nevada, at $13.93 a year, versus $51.66 in Hawaii — a spread of $37.73.