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How Much Does It Cost to Run a Holiday String Lights in Australia? (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 A$0.007 per hour, or about A$1.26 per month at 6 hours a day in Australia. Cheap to run
| Wattage | Per hour | Per day | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low (5 W) | A$0.002 | A$0.010 | A$0.31 | A$3.83 |
| Typical (20 W) | A$0.007 | A$0.042 | A$1.26 | A$15.33 |
| High (100 W) | A$0.035 | A$0.21 | A$6.30 | A$76.65 |
Formula: watts ÷ 1000 × hours × price per kWh. Typical use is 6 h/day ≈ 44 kWh per year.
In Australia, with electricity at A$0.35 per kWh (source: AER Default Market Offer 2026–27, 2026-07), a typical holiday string lights costs A$0.007 per hour and about A$15.33 per year at 6 hours a day. Each A$1.00 of electricity buys roughly 142.9 hours of use.
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