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How much does it cost to run an incandescent bulb?
At the U.S. average residential price of 18.31¢ per kilowatt-hour (July 2026), running an incandescent bulb costs about $20.05 a year. Your own bill depends on your state's rate, which ranges from 12.72¢ to 48.00¢ across the country.
- Per hour
- 1.1¢
- Per day of use
- 5.5¢
- Per month
- $1.67
- Per year
- $20.05
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | 12.72¢ | $1.16 | $13.93 |
| Nevada | 12.77¢ | $1.17 | $13.98 |
| Utah | 13.12¢ | $1.20 | $14.37 |
| North Dakota | 13.41¢ | $1.22 | $14.68 |
| Tennessee | 13.71¢ | $1.25 | $15.01 |
| Idaho | 13.73¢ | $1.25 | $15.03 |
| Nebraska | 13.78¢ | $1.26 | $15.09 |
| Kentucky | 13.81¢ | $1.26 | $15.12 |
| Arkansas | 14.33¢ | $1.31 | $15.69 |
| Oklahoma | 14.35¢ | $1.31 | $15.71 |
| Wyoming | 14.36¢ | $1.31 | $15.72 |
| Mississippi | 14.54¢ | $1.33 | $15.92 |
| Washington | 14.71¢ | $1.34 | $16.11 |
| Montana | 14.99¢ | $1.37 | $16.41 |
| Florida | 15.03¢ | $1.37 | $16.46 |
| North Carolina | 15.16¢ | $1.38 | $16.60 |
| Kansas | 15.27¢ | $1.39 | $16.72 |
| South Dakota | 15.37¢ | $1.40 | $16.83 |
| Arizona | 15.38¢ | $1.40 | $16.84 |
| South Carolina | 15.47¢ | $1.41 | $16.94 |
| West Virginia | 15.78¢ | $1.44 | $17.28 |
| Texas | 15.88¢ | $1.45 | $17.39 |
| Oregon | 15.97¢ | $1.46 | $17.49 |
| Iowa | 15.99¢ | $1.46 | $17.51 |
| Missouri | 16.09¢ | $1.47 | $17.62 |
| New Mexico | 16.09¢ | $1.47 | $17.62 |
| Georgia | 16.27¢ | $1.48 | $17.82 |
| Alabama | 16.40¢ | $1.50 | $17.96 |
| Indiana | 16.73¢ | $1.53 | $18.32 |
| Colorado | 17.00¢ | $1.55 | $18.62 |
| Minnesota | 17.45¢ | $1.59 | $19.11 |
| Virginia | 17.55¢ | $1.60 | $19.22 |
| Delaware | 18.48¢ | $1.69 | $20.24 |
| Wisconsin | 19.06¢ | $1.74 | $20.87 |
| Illinois | 19.22¢ | $1.75 | $21.05 |
| Ohio | 19.45¢ | $1.77 | $21.30 |
| Maryland | 21.41¢ | $1.95 | $23.44 |
| Pennsylvania | 21.72¢ | $1.98 | $23.78 |
| Michigan | 23.05¢ | $2.10 | $25.24 |
| Vermont | 23.75¢ | $2.17 | $26.01 |
| Connecticut | 24.16¢ | $2.20 | $26.46 |
| New Jersey | 25.19¢ | $2.30 | $27.58 |
| District of Columbia | 25.21¢ | $2.30 | $27.60 |
| New Hampshire | 26.60¢ | $2.43 | $29.13 |
| Rhode Island | 28.29¢ | $2.58 | $30.98 |
| Alaska | 28.83¢ | $2.63 | $31.57 |
| New York | 29.90¢ | $2.73 | $32.74 |
| Massachusetts | 30.49¢ | $2.78 | $33.39 |
| Maine | 32.41¢ | $2.96 | $35.49 |
| California | 33.61¢ | $3.07 | $36.80 |
| Hawaii | 48.00¢ | $4.38 | $52.56 |
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 $1.67 a month at the U.S. average rate, or $20.05 a year.
- Where is it cheapest to run?
- Louisiana, at $13.93 a year, versus $52.56 in Hawaii — a spread of $38.63.