Christmas Lights Cost Calculator
Add up your strings, inflatables and projectors and see what your holiday display costs per night and for the whole season – at your state's own residential electricity rate, from EIA data for July 2026.
Formulas shown on this page · Last reviewed October 2026
How the calculation works
watts = Σ (number of strings or units × typical watts)
kWh per night = watts × hours ÷ 1,000
season cost = kWh per night × nights × rate ($/kWh)
The default season is 37 nights: Thanksgiving night (November 26, 2026) through January 1, 2027, at 6 hours a night. LED vs incandescent savings swap each LED mini or C9 string for its incandescent equivalent (and back), keeping the same number of strings.
Typical watts by light type
| Light type | Per | Typical watts | Season cost (US avg) |
|---|---|---|---|
| LED mini string | 100-light string | 4.8 | $0.20 |
| Incandescent mini string | 100-light string | 40.8 | $1.66 |
| C9 LED string | 25-bulb string | 15 | $0.61 |
| C9 incandescent string | 25-bulb string | 175 | $7.11 |
| Inflatable (blower) | inflatable | 100 | $4.06 |
| Light projector | projector | 10 | $0.41 |
- LED mini string: 4.8 W per 100-light LED string (Canada Energy Regulator).
- Incandescent mini string: 40.8 W per 100-light incandescent string (Canada Energy Regulator).
- C9 LED string: About 0.6 W per LED C9 bulb (typical manufacturer rating) × 25 bulbs.
- C9 incandescent string: 7 W per incandescent C9 bulb (standard bulb rating) × 25 bulbs.
- Inflatable (blower): Typical estimate; 120 V replacement blowers are commonly rated about 80–170 W, small 12 V fans under 20 W.
- Light projector: Typical estimate for a plug-in LED or laser projector; check the label.
These are typical values, not measurements of your lights. The label on the string or box is the number to use.
Cost of a typical display by state
A display of 10 LED mini strings, 4 LED C9 strings, 1 inflatable and 1 projector (218 W), lit 6 hours a night for 37 nights (48.4 kWh), at each state's average residential electricity rate for July 2026. The last column is the same display with incandescent mini and C9 strings (1,218 W). US average: $8.86 LED vs $49.51 incandescent.
| State | Rate (¢/kWh) | LED display | Per night | Incandescent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | 12.72 | $6.16 | $0.17 | $34.39 |
| Nevada | 12.77 | $6.18 | $0.17 | $34.53 |
| Utah | 13.12 | $6.35 | $0.17 | $35.48 |
| North Dakota | 13.41 | $6.49 | $0.18 | $36.26 |
| Tennessee | 13.71 | $6.64 | $0.18 | $37.07 |
| Idaho | 13.73 | $6.64 | $0.18 | $37.13 |
| Nebraska | 13.78 | $6.67 | $0.18 | $37.26 |
| Kentucky | 13.81 | $6.68 | $0.18 | $37.34 |
| Arkansas | 14.33 | $6.94 | $0.19 | $38.75 |
| Oklahoma | 14.35 | $6.94 | $0.19 | $38.80 |
| Wyoming | 14.36 | $6.95 | $0.19 | $38.83 |
| Mississippi | 14.54 | $7.04 | $0.19 | $39.32 |
| Washington | 14.71 | $7.12 | $0.19 | $39.78 |
| Montana | 14.99 | $7.25 | $0.20 | $40.53 |
| Florida | 15.03 | $7.27 | $0.20 | $40.64 |
| North Carolina | 15.16 | $7.34 | $0.20 | $40.99 |
| Kansas | 15.27 | $7.39 | $0.20 | $41.29 |
| South Dakota | 15.37 | $7.44 | $0.20 | $41.56 |
| Arizona | 15.38 | $7.44 | $0.20 | $41.59 |
| South Carolina | 15.47 | $7.49 | $0.20 | $41.83 |
| West Virginia | 15.78 | $7.64 | $0.21 | $42.67 |
| Texas | 15.88 | $7.69 | $0.21 | $42.94 |
| Oregon | 15.97 | $7.73 | $0.21 | $43.18 |
| Iowa | 15.99 | $7.74 | $0.21 | $43.24 |
| Missouri | 16.09 | $7.79 | $0.21 | $43.51 |
| New Mexico | 16.09 | $7.79 | $0.21 | $43.51 |
| Georgia | 16.27 | $7.87 | $0.21 | $43.99 |
| Alabama | 16.40 | $7.94 | $0.21 | $44.34 |
| Indiana | 16.73 | $8.10 | $0.22 | $45.24 |
| Colorado | 17.00 | $8.23 | $0.22 | $45.97 |
| Minnesota | 17.45 | $8.45 | $0.23 | $47.18 |
| Virginia | 17.55 | $8.49 | $0.23 | $47.45 |
| Delaware | 18.48 | $8.94 | $0.24 | $49.97 |
| Wisconsin | 19.06 | $9.22 | $0.25 | $51.54 |
| Illinois | 19.22 | $9.30 | $0.25 | $51.97 |
| Ohio | 19.45 | $9.41 | $0.25 | $52.59 |
| Maryland | 21.41 | $10.36 | $0.28 | $57.89 |
| Pennsylvania | 21.72 | $10.51 | $0.28 | $58.73 |
| Michigan | 23.05 | $11.16 | $0.30 | $62.33 |
| Vermont | 23.75 | $11.49 | $0.31 | $64.22 |
| Connecticut | 24.16 | $11.69 | $0.32 | $65.33 |
| New Jersey | 25.19 | $12.19 | $0.33 | $68.11 |
| District of Columbia | 25.21 | $12.20 | $0.33 | $68.17 |
| New Hampshire | 26.60 | $12.87 | $0.35 | $71.93 |
| Rhode Island | 28.29 | $13.69 | $0.37 | $76.50 |
| Alaska | 28.83 | $13.95 | $0.38 | $77.96 |
| New York | 29.90 | $14.47 | $0.39 | $80.85 |
| Massachusetts | 30.49 | $14.76 | $0.40 | $82.44 |
| Maine | 32.41 | $15.69 | $0.42 | $87.64 |
| California | 33.61 | $16.27 | $0.44 | $90.88 |
| Hawaii | 48.00 | $23.23 | $0.63 | $129.79 |
Source: EIA Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A (residential average price by state), July 2026. Average rates include all charges divided by kWh sold; your own rate may differ, so enter it from your bill for the closest estimate.
Ways to cut the cost
- Replace incandescent C9 strings first – each one draws about as much as 36 LED mini strings.
- Use a plug-in or smart timer so the display runs only in the evening hours people see it.
- Count inflatables: one blower running all night can draw more than a whole yard of LED strings.
- Planning winter bills too? See winter heating cost by state and the space heater cost.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to run Christmas lights for the season?
A typical display of 10 LED mini strings, 4 LED C9 strings, 1 inflatable and 1 projector (218 W) lit 6 hours a night for 37 nights uses about 48 kWh – about $8.86 at the US average of 18.31¢/kWh (EIA, July 2026). It ranges from $6.16 in Louisiana to $23.23 in Hawaii.
How much do LED Christmas lights save compared with incandescent?
A 100-light LED mini string draws about 4.8 W versus 40.8 W for an incandescent one, according to the Canada Energy Regulator – about 88% less. Ten mini strings for the season cost about $1.95 as LED and $16.58 as incandescent at the US average rate.
Are C9 incandescent lights expensive to run?
They are the most power-hungry common string: a 25-bulb C9 string with standard 7 W bulbs draws about 175 W, so one string costs about $7.11 for the season at 18.31¢/kWh, versus about $0.61 for a 25-bulb LED C9 string at roughly 0.6 W per bulb.
How do I find the exact wattage of my lights?
Check the tag near the plug or the box – most strings list watts or amps (watts = amps × 120 for US outlets). A plug-in energy meter gives the real number for a whole outlet, including inflatables and projectors whose ratings vary a lot by model.