Christmas Lights Electricity Cost Calculator
Enter how many bulbs, which type, and how many hours and nights they're on, and get the cost per night and for the whole season in your state.
Christmas lights cost
A16Scenario A
Sets the electricity rate. Pick US average if you're not sure.
From EIA for US average. Use the rate on your bill if you know it.
Rate used: 18.4¢/kWh · US average · EIA reference 2025–26 (data as of 2026-09-26) ·
Estimated cost for the season
Estimate. Formula and sources are under “How it works”. Change any input; the result updates as you type.
Formula
How it works
- Total watts = bulbs × watts per bulb
- Season cost = total watts ÷ 1,000 × hours per night × nights × rate
- Cost per night = total watts ÷ 1,000 × hours per night × rate
Bulb type matters more than anything else. A C9 incandescent draws 7 W; a C7, 5 W; a mini incandescent, 0.4 W; a C9 LED, about 0.1–0.2 W; a mini LED, 0.07 W. So 500 mini incandescents draw 200 W, while 500 mini LEDs draw 35 W.
Sources: watts per bulb from manufacturers' spec sheets (C9 inc 7 W, C7 inc 5 W, mini inc 0.4 W, C9 LED 0.15 W, mini LED 0.07 W). Electricity rate: EIA Electric Power Monthly table 5.6.A.
Worked example
A worked example
200 C9 incandescent bulbs at 7 W each draw 1,400 W. Six hours a night for 45 nights is 378.0 kWh. At the Texas rate of 15.5¢/kWh that's $1.30 a night and $58.59 for the season.
Reference
Reference table
Christmas lights cost for a 40-night season, 6 h a night, at 18.4¢/kWh (US average)
| 100 bulbs | 500 bulbs | 1,000 bulbs | 2,000 bulbs | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C9 incandescent | $30.91 | $154.56 | $309.12 | $618.24 |
| C7 incandescent | $22.08 | $110.40 | $220.80 | $441.60 |
| Mini incandescent | $1.77 | $8.83 | $17.66 | $35.33 |
| C9 LED | $0.66 | $3.31 | $6.62 | $13.25 |
| Mini LED | $0.31 | $1.55 | $3.09 | $6.18 |
Questions
FAQ
How much do Christmas lights cost to run for a month?
At the US average rate of 18.4¢/kWh, 500 mini incandescent bulbs on 6 hours a night cost about $0.22 a night, or $6.62 for 30 nights. A 40-night season comes to $8.83.
LED vs incandescent Christmas lights: what's the cost difference?
500 mini LEDs draw 35 W instead of 200 W. For the same 40-night, 6-hour season at the US average rate, that's about $1.55 instead of $8.83. With C9 bulbs the gap is far bigger: 7 W vs 0.15 W per bulb.
How much does it cost to run 1,000 Christmas lights?
1,000 mini incandescents draw 400 W: about $17.66 for a 40-night, 6-hour season at the US average rate. 1,000 mini LEDs in California at 32.0¢/kWh, 8 hours a night for 40 nights, come to $7.17.
Do inflatables and projectors count?
Not on this page. Enter their watts and hours in the Appliance calculator and add them to My bill.
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