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How Much Does It Cost to Run a Holiday String Lights? (2026)
LED string lights use around 0.07 watts per bulb, so a 300 bulb string draws about 20 watts. Old incandescent strings use 10 to 20 times more for the same length.
A typical holiday string lights (20 W) costs $0.004 per hour, or about $0.65 per month at 6 hours a day in United States (average). Cheap to run
| Wattage | Per hour | Per day | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low (5 W) | $0.001 | $0.005 | $0.16 | $1.97 |
| Typical (20 W) | $0.004 | $0.022 | $0.65 | $7.88 |
| High (100 W) | $0.018 | $0.11 | $3.24 | $39.42 |
Formula: watts ÷ 1000 × hours × price per kWh. Typical use is 6 h/day ≈ 44 kWh per year.
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How to lower the cost of running a holiday string lights
- Replace incandescent strings with LED. The payback is usually a single season.
- Use an outdoor timer so lights run 5 to 6 hours rather than all night.
- Fewer, brighter strings often look better and cost less than many dim ones.
Frequently asked questions
How much do Christmas lights cost to run?
A typical LED display of 1,000 bulbs on for 6 hours uses about 0.4 kWh a day. Incandescent would use 5 to 8 kWh.
Do LED string lights use much electricity?
No. Even large displays cost a few dollars or pounds per season.
Is it safe to leave string lights on all night?
LEDs run cool, but a timer saves electricity and reduces risk.
Cost by region
- United States (average)
- California
- Texas
- New York
- Florida
- Canada (average)
- United Kingdom
- Germany
- France
- Australia
- India