How Much Does It Cost to Run an LED Light Bulb in Kentucky? (2026)
An LED bulb producing the same light as an old 60 watt incandescent uses about 9 watts. Lighting has gone from a major electricity cost to a minor one in homes that have switched fully to LED.
A typical LED light bulb (9 W) costs $0.001 per hour, or about $0.19 per month at 5 hours a day in Kentucky. Cheap to run
| Wattage | Per hour | Per day | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low 5 W | $0.001 | $0.004 | $0.11 | $1.30 |
| Typical 9 W | $0.001 | $0.006 | $0.19 | $2.34 |
| High 15 W | $0.002 | $0.011 | $0.32 | $3.90 |
Formula: watts ÷ 1000 × hours × price per kWh. Typical use is 5 h/day ≈ 16 kWh per year.
One day of an LED light bulb (0.22 kWh) is the same electricity as
- 2.2kettle boils
- 4.3hours of a fridge
- 4.8hours of a laptop
- 22hours of Wi-Fi
In Kentucky, with electricity at 14.3¢ per kWh (source: EIA Table 5.6.A, 2026-06), a typical led light bulb costs $0.001 per hour and about $2.34 per year at 5 hours a day. That is about 22% less than the national average for the US ($0.25 per month), because electricity in Kentucky costs 14.3¢ per kWh against 18.3¢ nationally. Each $1.00 of electricity buys roughly 779.2 hours of use.
How to lower the cost of running an LED light bulb
- Replace any remaining incandescent or halogen bulbs. The payback is usually under a year.
- Choose lumens for brightness, not watts.
- Smart bulbs draw about half a watt in standby waiting for commands.
- Use task lighting instead of lighting a whole room.
Is an efficient LED light bulb worth it?
60 W incandescent bulb: about 110 kWh a year. 9 W LED giving the same light: about 16 kWh. The difference is worth $13.40 a year in Kentucky.
- Replacing one that still works pays back in 3 months.
- When yours needs replacing anyway, the extra cost of the efficient model pays back in 3 months.
Usage assumed: 5 hours a day. Typical prices: $3.00 for the efficient model, $3.00 more than a basic one. Work it out with your own prices
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to leave a light on all day?
A 9 watt LED left on for 24 hours uses about 0.2 kWh, only a few cents in most regions.
How much do LED bulbs save compared to incandescent?
Around 85 percent for the same light output.
Do LED bulbs use power when switched off?
Ordinary LEDs do not. Smart bulbs and those with built-in sensors draw a small standby current.
Cost by region
US states
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Canadian provinces
Related appliances
- LED Grow Light150 W typical
- Holiday String Lights20 W typical
- Outdoor Security Floodlight30 W typical
- Smart LED Bulb9 W typical
Use the generic electricity cost calculator · Which uses more? Take the quiz