How Much Do Christmas Lights Cost to Run All Month?
Learn the simple watts-to-dollars formula and timer trick that keeps December displays bright for less.
An LED tree setup often costs under $2 to run through December. The same bright look with incandescent bulbs can cost about $6 more for the month. Your exact total depends on bulb watts, nightly hours, and your electric rate.
A kilowatt-hour is the billing unit for electricity. It equals 1,000 watts used for one hour. Holiday lights add only a small number of these units when watts and hours stay low.
Verification note: Program terms and availability can change. This page was checked against linked sources on November 03, 2026.
How do you figure your monthly cost?
Add up the total watts for all strands and decorations. Then use this formula: total watts divided by 1,000, times hours per day, times days, times price per kWh. According to ElectricChoice, a 200-watt display run 6 hours nightly for 30 days uses 36 kWh, as explained in the ElectricChoice holiday-lighting guide.
The U.S. residential average was about 17.30 cents per kWh in 2025, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration in the EIA electricity price explainer.
At that rate, 36 kWh costs about $6.23. Check your own bill for your exact cents-per-kWh number.
Why do LEDs cost so much less?
A typical 100-bulb incandescent mini-light string draws about 40 watts, according to the National Energy Education Development Project. A comparable LED string draws only 4-8 watts for equal light output. The U.S.
Department of Energy estimates LEDs use about 70% less energy, with lighting a 6-foot tree 12 hours daily for 40 days costing $0.27 with LEDs versus $10 with incandescents, shown in the Department of Energy holiday-lights guide. Hydro-Quebec reports a similar gap for certified strands. Its efficiency guide says multicolor ENERGY STAR LEDs use about 75% less energy than incandescents.
Single-color ENERGY STAR strings use about 90% less.
What changes your December total?
Your electric rate is the largest multiplier. EIA July 2026 data put the national average at 18.31 cents per kWh, spanning about 12.72 cents in Louisiana to 48.00 cents in Hawaii. The same strand can therefore cost almost four times more in a high-rate state.
Run time is the second multiplier. EnergySage finds that at 6 hours per day for all 31 December days at 18 cents per kWh, an incandescent tree setup uses roughly 300% more electricity and costs about $6 more than LEDs. Longer nights, more strands, and outdoor displays raise use in the same direct way.
- Incandescent 100-bulb string: about 40 watts
- LED 100-bulb string: about 4-8 watts
- Cutting 10-plus hours to 5-6 hours nightly: 30-50% less lighting energy
How can you lower the bill?
Limit displays to 5-6 hours nightly with an outdoor timer instead of running them 10 or more hours. ElectricChoice and Hydro One report that this change cuts holiday-lighting energy use by 30-50%. A timer also keeps the schedule steady when you stay out late or wake up late.
Choose LED strands when you replace burned-out strings. ElectricChoice and Hydro One note that ENERGY STAR LEDs last up to 10 times longer than incandescents. Read the watt label on each box before you plug in, then add the watts together.