How Much Do Christmas Lights Cost to Run?
Calculate the electricity cost of your holiday light display
Christmas Lights Details
LED vs Incandescent Christmas Lights
- LED lights use up to 90% less energy: A string of 100 LED mini lights uses about 3.4 watts compared to 40 watts for incandescent mini lights.
- LED lights last longer: LED Christmas lights can last up to 25,000 hours, while incandescent bulbs typically last around 1,000-2,000 hours.
- LED lights run cooler: Because they generate less heat, LED lights are safer and reduce the risk of fire, especially on dry trees.
- Use a timer: Set lights to turn on at dusk and off at bedtime to avoid running them all night and wasting electricity.
- Solar-powered options: For outdoor displays, solar-powered lights eliminate electricity costs entirely.
- Calculate total wattage: Check the label on each string of lights and add up the wattages for all strings to get your total wattage.