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How much does it cost to run a string of Christmas lights?
At the U.S. average residential price of 18.31¢ per kilowatt-hour (July 2026), running a string of Christmas lights costs about $1.24 a year. Your own bill depends on your state's rate, which ranges from 12.72¢ to 48.00¢ across the country.
- Per hour
- 0.5¢
- Per day of use
- 2.7¢
- Per month
- 10.3¢
- Per year
- $1.24
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | 12.72¢ | 7.2¢ | 85.9¢ |
| Nevada | 12.77¢ | 7.2¢ | 86.2¢ |
| Utah | 13.12¢ | 7.4¢ | 88.6¢ |
| North Dakota | 13.41¢ | 7.5¢ | 90.5¢ |
| Tennessee | 13.71¢ | 7.7¢ | 92.5¢ |
| Idaho | 13.73¢ | 7.7¢ | 92.7¢ |
| Nebraska | 13.78¢ | 7.8¢ | 93.0¢ |
| Kentucky | 13.81¢ | 7.8¢ | 93.2¢ |
| Arkansas | 14.33¢ | 8.1¢ | 96.7¢ |
| Oklahoma | 14.35¢ | 8.1¢ | 96.9¢ |
| Wyoming | 14.36¢ | 8.1¢ | 96.9¢ |
| Mississippi | 14.54¢ | 8.2¢ | 98.1¢ |
| Washington | 14.71¢ | 8.3¢ | 99.3¢ |
| Montana | 14.99¢ | 8.4¢ | $1.01 |
| Florida | 15.03¢ | 8.5¢ | $1.01 |
| North Carolina | 15.16¢ | 8.5¢ | $1.02 |
| Kansas | 15.27¢ | 8.6¢ | $1.03 |
| South Dakota | 15.37¢ | 8.6¢ | $1.04 |
| Arizona | 15.38¢ | 8.7¢ | $1.04 |
| South Carolina | 15.47¢ | 8.7¢ | $1.04 |
| West Virginia | 15.78¢ | 8.9¢ | $1.07 |
| Texas | 15.88¢ | 8.9¢ | $1.07 |
| Oregon | 15.97¢ | 9.0¢ | $1.08 |
| Iowa | 15.99¢ | 9.0¢ | $1.08 |
| Missouri | 16.09¢ | 9.1¢ | $1.09 |
| New Mexico | 16.09¢ | 9.1¢ | $1.09 |
| Georgia | 16.27¢ | 9.2¢ | $1.10 |
| Alabama | 16.40¢ | 9.2¢ | $1.11 |
| Indiana | 16.73¢ | 9.4¢ | $1.13 |
| Colorado | 17.00¢ | 9.6¢ | $1.15 |
| Minnesota | 17.45¢ | 9.8¢ | $1.18 |
| Virginia | 17.55¢ | 9.9¢ | $1.18 |
| Delaware | 18.48¢ | 10.4¢ | $1.25 |
| Wisconsin | 19.06¢ | 10.7¢ | $1.29 |
| Illinois | 19.22¢ | 10.8¢ | $1.30 |
| Ohio | 19.45¢ | 10.9¢ | $1.31 |
| Maryland | 21.41¢ | 12.0¢ | $1.45 |
| Pennsylvania | 21.72¢ | 12.2¢ | $1.47 |
| Michigan | 23.05¢ | 13.0¢ | $1.56 |
| Vermont | 23.75¢ | 13.4¢ | $1.60 |
| Connecticut | 24.16¢ | 13.6¢ | $1.63 |
| New Jersey | 25.19¢ | 14.2¢ | $1.70 |
| District of Columbia | 25.21¢ | 14.2¢ | $1.70 |
| New Hampshire | 26.60¢ | 15.0¢ | $1.80 |
| Rhode Island | 28.29¢ | 15.9¢ | $1.91 |
| Alaska | 28.83¢ | 16.2¢ | $1.95 |
| New York | 29.90¢ | 16.8¢ | $2.02 |
| Massachusetts | 30.49¢ | 17.2¢ | $2.06 |
| Maine | 32.41¢ | 18.2¢ | $2.19 |
| California | 33.61¢ | 18.9¢ | $2.27 |
| Hawaii | 48.00¢ | 27.0¢ | $3.24 |
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 10.3¢ a month at the U.S. average rate, or $1.24 a year.
- Where is it cheapest to run?
- Louisiana, at 85.9¢ a year, versus $3.24 in Hawaii — a spread of $2.38.