How Much Does It Cost to Run an Incandescent Light Bulb?
About 90% of an incandescent bulb's 60 watts becomes heat, not light — you're paying to warm the fixture. At the US-average rate of 16.5¢/kWh, running an incandescent light bulb costs about $1.50/month ($18.05/year) at typical use. Adjust the watts, hours, and your rate below for your exact number.
Cost to run an incandescent light bulb
$18/yr
- Per day
- $0.05
- Per month
- $1.50
- Energy per year
- 110 kWh
Cost = power (kW) × hours × days × your rate. Defaults are typical values — enter your appliance's actual watts (often on a label) and your real rate for a precise figure.
How much electricity does an incandescent light bulb use?
At 60 W for 5 hours a day, an incandescent light bulb uses about 0.3 kWh per day — roughly 9 kWh per month and 110 kWh per year. That's about 1% of the 863 kWh the average US home uses in a month. Energy use is the same everywhere — only the price per kWh changes your bill.
Wondering about the circuit instead? See how many amps an incandescent light bulb draws.
Cost to run an incandescent light bulb by electricity rate
Same 60 W appliance, 5 h/day — the bill changes with where you live.
| Scenario | Rate | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cheapest states (North Dakota) | 11.5¢ | $1.05 | $12.60 |
| US average | 16.5¢ | $1.50 | $18.05 |
| Most expensive (Hawaii) | 42.9¢ | $3.91 | $46.93 |
Find your state's rate on the electricity rates by state page, or see the appliance wattage chart for more devices.
Measure what an incandescent light bulb really costs you
The estimate above uses typical wattage and hours. This load is usually hardwired or on a 240 V circuit, so a plug-in meter won't fit it; a whole-home monitor's sensors clip onto the circuit's wires inside the panel and log its real kilowatt-hours. That means working in a live panel — hire an electrician if that isn't you.
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Whole-home energy monitor
Emporia Vue 3 Home Energy Monitor (16 circuit sensors)
Best for: Measuring hardwired and 240 V loads, or every circuit at once
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