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How much does it cost to run a string of Christmas lights?
At the U.S. average residential price of 18.34¢ per kilowatt-hour (June 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 13.11¢ to 52.72¢ across the country.
- Per hour
- 0.5¢
- Per day of use
- 2.8¢
- 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nevada | 13.11¢ | 7.4¢ | 88.5¢ |
| Nebraska | 13.25¢ | 7.5¢ | 89.4¢ |
| Utah | 13.37¢ | 7.5¢ | 90.2¢ |
| Louisiana | 13.49¢ | 7.6¢ | 91.1¢ |
| Tennessee | 14.07¢ | 7.9¢ | 95.0¢ |
| North Dakota | 14.12¢ | 7.9¢ | 95.3¢ |
| Arkansas | 14.12¢ | 7.9¢ | 95.3¢ |
| Kentucky | 14.26¢ | 8.0¢ | 96.3¢ |
| Oklahoma | 14.33¢ | 8.1¢ | 96.7¢ |
| Idaho | 14.37¢ | 8.1¢ | 97.0¢ |
| North Carolina | 14.74¢ | 8.3¢ | 99.5¢ |
| Mississippi | 14.88¢ | 8.4¢ | $1.00 |
| Washington | 14.91¢ | 8.4¢ | $1.01 |
| New Mexico | 15.06¢ | 8.5¢ | $1.02 |
| Florida | 15.10¢ | 8.5¢ | $1.02 |
| Montana | 15.14¢ | 8.5¢ | $1.02 |
| Arizona | 15.18¢ | 8.5¢ | $1.02 |
| Wyoming | 15.24¢ | 8.6¢ | $1.03 |
| South Dakota | 15.36¢ | 8.6¢ | $1.04 |
| West Virginia | 15.45¢ | 8.7¢ | $1.04 |
| South Carolina | 15.55¢ | 8.7¢ | $1.05 |
| Kansas | 15.71¢ | 8.8¢ | $1.06 |
| Iowa | 15.93¢ | 9.0¢ | $1.08 |
| Texas | 15.94¢ | 9.0¢ | $1.08 |
| Missouri | 16.22¢ | 9.1¢ | $1.09 |
| Oregon | 16.32¢ | 9.2¢ | $1.10 |
| Georgia | 16.36¢ | 9.2¢ | $1.10 |
| Alabama | 16.40¢ | 9.2¢ | $1.11 |
| Colorado | 17.13¢ | 9.6¢ | $1.16 |
| Virginia | 17.22¢ | 9.7¢ | $1.16 |
| Indiana | 17.51¢ | 9.8¢ | $1.18 |
| Minnesota | 17.52¢ | 9.9¢ | $1.18 |
| Ohio | 19.19¢ | 10.8¢ | $1.30 |
| Delaware | 19.29¢ | 10.9¢ | $1.30 |
| Wisconsin | 19.56¢ | 11.0¢ | $1.32 |
| Illinois | 19.89¢ | 11.2¢ | $1.34 |
| Pennsylvania | 21.73¢ | 12.2¢ | $1.47 |
| Maryland | 21.84¢ | 12.3¢ | $1.47 |
| Michigan | 22.99¢ | 12.9¢ | $1.55 |
| Connecticut | 24.32¢ | 13.7¢ | $1.64 |
| District of Columbia | 24.39¢ | 13.7¢ | $1.65 |
| Vermont | 24.44¢ | 13.7¢ | $1.65 |
| New Jersey | 24.95¢ | 14.0¢ | $1.68 |
| New Hampshire | 27.01¢ | 15.2¢ | $1.82 |
| Alaska | 28.21¢ | 15.9¢ | $1.90 |
| Rhode Island | 29.23¢ | 16.4¢ | $1.97 |
| New York | 29.49¢ | 16.6¢ | $1.99 |
| Maine | 29.59¢ | 16.6¢ | $2.00 |
| Massachusetts | 29.61¢ | 16.7¢ | $2.00 |
| California | 34.74¢ | 19.5¢ | $2.34 |
| Hawaii | 52.72¢ | 29.7¢ | $3.56 |
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?
- Nevada, at 88.5¢ a year, versus $3.56 in Hawaii — a spread of $2.67.