Holiday Lights Cost Calculator
Pick the kind of lights, how many strings, how long they stay on and your state. You'll get the cost for the season, per day and what the same lights would cost in LED.
- EIA electricity price by state
- Wattage from labels and utilities
- LED vs incandescent
2 What your lights cost
Updates as you type| Watts per string | 40 W (typical; check your box) |
|---|---|
| All strings together | 400 W |
| Cost per hour | 7.28¢ |
| Energy for the season | 96 kWh |
The watts are printed on the box or the tag near the plug. Your bill's price per kWh can differ from the state average, especially in winter or on a time-of-use plan.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission's advice: buy lights tested by a recognized lab, put only outdoor-rated lights outside and plug them into GFCI-protected outlets, run no more than three standard-size sets per extension cord, and turn them off when you go to bed or leave the house.
Quick answer
Multiply the watts by the total hours on (hours a day × days), divide by 1,000 for kWh, and multiply by your price. Ten 100-bulb incandescent mini strings at 40 W each, on 6 hours a day for 40 days, use 96 kWh, about $17.46 at the US average of 18.19¢ per kWh (EIA). The same ten strings in LED, at about 5 W each, cost about $2.18.
Season cost by number of strings
| Strings | Incandescent mini | LED mini | Incandescent C9 (25 bulbs) | LED C9 (25 bulbs) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | $8.73 | $1.09 | $38.20 | $0.52 |
| 10 | $17.46 | $2.18 | $76.40 | $1.05 |
| 20 | $34.92 | $4.37 | $152.80 | $2.10 |
| 40 | $69.85 | $8.73 | $305.59 | $4.19 |
6 hours a day for 40 days at the US average of 18.19¢ per kWh (EIA, January to August 2026), typical watts per string. Use the calculator above for your exact size.
How to work out the cost
- Watts for all the lights = watts per string × strings. Ten 40 W strings draw 400 W.
- kWh = watts × hours ÷ 1,000. At 6 hours a day for 40 days (240 hours): 400 × 240 ÷ 1,000 = 96 kWh.
- Cost = kWh × price. At 18.19¢ per kWh, the US average residential price for January to August 2026 in EIA's figures: $17.46.
Typical watts by type of light
| Lights | Typical watts per string | Where the figure comes from |
|---|---|---|
| LED mini, 100 bulbs | 5 W | We Energies' holiday lighting calculator; Entergy and PG&E put LED minis at 0.07 W a bulb (7 W per 100), and a Christmas Central 100-bulb label shows 7.2 W |
| Incandescent mini, 100 bulbs | 40 W | Christmas Lite Co. product label; Entergy and PG&E put mini bulbs at 0.4 W each; We Energies lists 50 W |
| Incandescent C7, 25 bulbs | 125 W | We Energies; Christmas Central product label |
| Incandescent C9, 25 bulbs | 175 W | Christmas Central product label (7 W bulbs) |
| LED C7 or C9, 25 bulbs | 2.4 W | Christmas Central and Christmas Lite Co. product labels |
Strings differ, so use the watts printed on your own box or tag when you have them. ENERGY STAR says certified LED light strings use about 92% less energy than incandescent strings and can last up to 10 times longer.
Cost by state
The same ten incandescent mini strings, 6 hours a day for 40 days (96 kWh), at each state's average residential price for January to August 2026:
| State | Price per kWh | Incandescent minis | LED minis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | 46.41¢ | $44.55 | $5.57 |
| California | 32.58¢ | $31.28 | $3.91 |
| Maine | 30.23¢ | $29.02 | $3.63 |
| Massachusetts | 30.19¢ | $28.98 | $3.62 |
| New York | 29.26¢ | $28.09 | $3.51 |
| Rhode Island | 29.05¢ | $27.89 | $3.49 |
| Connecticut | 27.47¢ | $26.37 | $3.30 |
| Alaska | 27.32¢ | $26.23 | $3.28 |
| New Hampshire | 26.91¢ | $25.83 | $3.23 |
| District of Columbia | 24.86¢ | $23.87 | $2.98 |
| New Jersey | 24.09¢ | $23.13 | $2.89 |
| Vermont | 23.93¢ | $22.97 | $2.87 |
| Michigan | 21.73¢ | $20.86 | $2.61 |
| Maryland | 21.31¢ | $20.46 | $2.56 |
| Pennsylvania | 21.13¢ | $20.28 | $2.54 |
| Illinois | 19.23¢ | $18.46 | $2.31 |
| Wisconsin | 19.05¢ | $18.29 | $2.29 |
| Ohio | 18.81¢ | $18.06 | $2.26 |
| Delaware | 17.98¢ | $17.26 | $2.16 |
| Indiana | 17.04¢ | $16.36 | $2.04 |
| Virginia | 16.95¢ | $16.27 | $2.03 |
| Colorado | 16.80¢ | $16.13 | $2.02 |
| Alabama | 16.51¢ | $15.85 | $1.98 |
| Minnesota | 16.44¢ | $15.78 | $1.97 |
| Texas | 16.03¢ | $15.39 | $1.92 |
| South Carolina | 15.90¢ | $15.26 | $1.91 |
| West Virginia | 15.58¢ | $14.96 | $1.87 |
| Georgia | 15.48¢ | $14.86 | $1.86 |
| Oregon | 15.46¢ | $14.84 | $1.86 |
| Arizona | 15.36¢ | $14.75 | $1.84 |
| New Mexico | 15.34¢ | $14.73 | $1.84 |
| Florida | 15.32¢ | $14.71 | $1.84 |
| Kansas | 15.26¢ | $14.65 | $1.83 |
| Mississippi | 15.06¢ | $14.46 | $1.81 |
| North Carolina | 14.94¢ | $14.34 | $1.79 |
| South Dakota | 14.58¢ | $14 | $1.75 |
| Iowa | 14.55¢ | $13.97 | $1.75 |
| Washington | 14.42¢ | $13.84 | $1.73 |
| Missouri | 14.28¢ | $13.71 | $1.71 |
| Kentucky | 14.20¢ | $13.63 | $1.70 |
| Montana | 14.13¢ | $13.56 | $1.70 |
| Wyoming | 14.01¢ | $13.45 | $1.68 |
| Oklahoma | 13.81¢ | $13.26 | $1.66 |
| Tennessee | 13.80¢ | $13.25 | $1.66 |
| Arkansas | 13.74¢ | $13.19 | $1.65 |
| Nevada | 13.36¢ | $12.83 | $1.60 |
| Louisiana | 13.27¢ | $12.74 | $1.59 |
| Utah | 13.19¢ | $12.66 | $1.58 |
| Idaho | 13.02¢ | $12.50 | $1.56 |
| Nebraska | 12.92¢ | $12.40 | $1.55 |
| North Dakota | 12.46¢ | $11.96 | $1.50 |
Prices: EIA, Electric Power Monthly, Tables 5.6.A and 5.6.B (2026 figures are preliminary). See also what a space heater costs to run by state.
Safety
- Use lights tested for safety by a recognized testing laboratory, and check every set, new or old, for broken sockets, frayed wires or loose connections (CPSC).
- Outdoors, use only lights certified for outdoor use, plugged into GFCI-protected outlets (CPSC).
- Use no more than three standard-size sets per extension cord, never connect more than three incandescent sets end to end (CPSC), and follow the maker's limit on how many strings to connect (NFPA).
- Turn lights off when you go to bed or leave the house (CPSC, NFPA).
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to run Christmas lights?
Ten 100-bulb incandescent mini strings, 6 hours a day for 40 days, cost about $17.46 at the US average electricity price; in LED, about $2.18. Big C9 bulbs cost far more: ten 25-bulb incandescent C9 strings come to about $76.40.
How many watts does a string of Christmas lights use?
It depends on the type: about 5 W for a 100-bulb LED mini string, about 40 W for a 100-bulb incandescent mini string, 125 W for 25 incandescent C7 bulbs and 175 W for 25 incandescent C9 bulbs. Your box or the tag near the plug gives the exact figure.
Do LED Christmas lights save money?
Yes. ENERGY STAR says certified LED light strings use about 92% less energy than incandescent strings. On typical labels, a 100-bulb LED mini string draws about 5 W against about 40 W for incandescent.
How many strings of lights can I connect together?
Follow the limit printed on the box. The CPSC says never to string together more than three sets of incandescent lights, and to use no more than three standard-size sets per extension cord.
Last reviewed 2026-11-13. See how we calculate for our sources and assumptions.