Discover how holiday lights influence your electricity bill. Learn about energy consumption differences between LED and incandescent lights, calculate holiday lighting costs, and get practical tips for saving energy during the holiday season
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Finance and policy

How many watts do Christmas lights use: Illuminating insights

Edited by: Andrei Gorichenskii

Planning your Christmas lights this year? You're probably wondering how much they'll add to your electric bill. Knowing how much power your holiday lights use helps you enjoy the festive season without getting shocked by high electricity costs. So, how much is it? We’ve calculated it all for you.

Key takeaways

  • LED lights use 6-10 watts per string while incandescent lights use 25-70 watts – choose LEDs for 3-7x better efficiency and longer life.
  • A typical LED display costs $1.70 monthly while the same incandescent setup costs $17 – LEDs save you about $150+ per season.
  • Switch to LEDs, use timers, focus on visible areas, shop post-Christmas sales, and consider solar panels to minimize electricity costs.

Christmas lights power usage depends on their type

When choosing Christmas lights, you have two main options: LED lights and traditional incandescent lights. The type you pick will make a huge difference in your electric bill. Let's look at how each type works and what they'll cost you to run.

LED Christmas lights: The modern way

LED lights are the best choice for most homeowners. Each LED bulb uses only 0.5 to 2 watts of power. A string of 100 LED lights uses just 6-10 watts total. That's really efficient. LED lights also last much longer than old bulbs. They can last 25-50 times longer than regular bulbs. Plus, they don't get hot, which makes them safer around your house and decorations.

Incandescent Christmas lights: The traditional way

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Traditional incandescent lights use much more power. Each small bulb uses 2.5 to 7 watts. Bigger bulbs like C7s and C9s use 5-10 watts each. A string of 100 regular lights uses 25-70 watts total. Regular lights cost less to buy, but they use more electricity and don't last as long. Many people still like them because they give off a warm, cozy light.

Do Christmas lights use more electricity than light bulbs?
A string of 4-watt LED Christmas lights uses way less power than an average incandescent bulb, which uses about 60 watts. That means one regular bulb in your house uses 15 times more electricity than an entire string of LED Christmas lights. Even if you have several strings of Christmas lights, they still use less power than the regular bulbs you already have running in your house every day.

Watts to dollars: Do Christmas lights raise your electric bill?

Your actual costs depend on how long you leave your lights on and what your electric company charges. Most families run their lights for 6 to 8 hours each night during December. Let's break down what this really costs you.

Let's say you have 10 LED light strings using 40 watts total. Running them 8 hours a night for 30 days uses about 10 kilowatt-hours of electricity. At an average electric rate of $0.17, this costs about $1.70 per month. The same setup with old bulbs would use 400 watts total and cost about $17.00 per month. 

40 watts × 8 hours × 30 days x $0.17 per kWh = $1.70 per month

If you keep lights up all year, LEDs cost about $20 annually to run. Old-style bulbs would cost around $200 per year for the same display.

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How much electricity does your house use? Breaking down electric bill
Is it expensive to leave Christmas lights on all night?
LED lights left on all night cost about twice as much as running them for just 6-8 hours – maybe an extra $2 per month. Old-style lights cost much more if you leave them on all night - they can add $20 to your monthly bill. Most people use timers to run their lights from evening until bedtime to save money.
How much does it cost to have Christmas lights plugged in?
Leaving lights lit 24/7 costs more than turning them off, but it might not be as expensive as you think. A LED setup costs about $6 for the whole December. Old-style lights cost 10 times more than LED lights, so they can cost $60 depending on how many you use.

Bright ideas: How to reduce your Christmas lights consumption

Your Christmas lights don't always use the exact same amount of power. Here are the main things that can make your electric bill higher or lower:

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  • Replace old bulbs with LEDs: LED lights cost more upfront but pay for themselves in the very first season. You may save $50-100 per year on electricity costs when switching from incandescent to LED Christmas lights.
  • Use timers: Set lights to turn on at sunset and off by 11 PM or midnight. This simple step cuts your usage hours in half compared to leaving lights on all night until morning.
  • Focus on high-impact areas: Don't light everything – focus on your front yard, porch, and main trees. Side yards and back areas that nobody sees don't need as many lights.
  • Check for deals: Buy LED lights after Christmas for next year at 50-75% off. January clearance sales are the best time to stock up on quality LED strings at bargain prices.
  • Use extension cords wisely: Shorter runs use less power than long daisy chains. Keep cord lengths under 100 feet and use heavy-duty outdoor-rated extensions for best efficiency.

Power Christmas lights with solar energy

If you have solar panels on your roof, or you're thinking about getting them, they can help pay for your Christmas lights. Solar panels make electricity during the day that can cover the power your lights use at night.

Most home solar systems make 15-25 kilowatt-hours of electricity per day. LED Christmas lights usually use about 300 watt-hours. This means your solar panels make way more electricity than your lights need, even for big displays.

Winter isn't the best time for solar panels because days are shorter and the sun is lower. But Christmas lights don't use that much electricity compared to the rest of your house. Even a small solar system can make enough extra power to cover your holiday lights.

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Egor Uchvatov
Author

Egor is passionate about making solar energy accessible and understandable for everyone. Since joining the company, he has been focused on sharing insights, practical tips, and ideas that help people embrace sustainable energy solutions.

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