Estimate what your Christmas lights and inflatables add to the electric bill for the season – and how much switching old strings to LED saves.
By TanLabs Editorial Team · Reviewed: page results cross-checked against the free spreadsheet · Last updated · Runs in your browser – nothing you type is sent anywhere
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With light strings 10, watts per string 7, inflatables & other decorations 1, watts per inflatable 150, hours on per night 6, nights on 40, electricity price 17 ¢ per kWh:
Season cost: $8.98 (53 kWh)
About $0.22 a night · lights $2.86 · inflatables $6.12 · 220 W total load
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Total watts = strings × watts per string + inflatables × watts each. kWh = watts × hours per night × nights ÷ 1,000. Cost = kWh × price per kWh.
Formula source: Energy use = watts × hours ÷ 1,000 (kWh) × price per kWh; state electricity prices from the U.S. EIA. U.S. EIA – average electricity prices by state · U.S. Department of Energy – Energy Saver
Written and checked by the TanLabs Editorial Team · Last updated
6 hours a night for 40 nights at 17¢ per kWh, inflatables at 150 W each:
| Display (6 h a night, 40 nights, 17¢/kWh) | Energy | Season cost | Per night |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 LED mini strings | 12 kWh | $1.96 | $0.05 |
| 10 incandescent mini strings | 96 kWh | $16.32 | $0.41 |
| 25 LED strings + 2 inflatables | 101 kWh | $17.14 | $0.43 |
| 25 incandescent strings + 2 inflatables | 312 kWh | $53.04 | $1.33 |
| Big display: 60 incandescent C9 strings | 2,520 kWh | $428.40 | $10.71 |
Ten LED strings cost about $2 for the whole season. The same strings as old incandescent bulbs cost over $16, and a big C9 incandescent display can add more than $400.
A 100-bulb LED mini string uses about 5 watts; the same incandescent string uses about 40. The wattage is printed on the box or the tag near the plug.
Usually yes if you run many strings for weeks: they use roughly 80–90% less electricity and run cooler.
A typical inflatable fan uses 100–200 watts, so one inflatable can use more than twenty LED strings.
Divide the total on your bill by the kWh used. The EIA publishes average residential prices by state if you need a starting point.
No grid electricity, but they are dimmer and depend on daytime sun.
They let you schedule and switch off lights from your phone, which often saves more than they cost.
Sources: U.S. EIA – average electricity prices by state · U.S. Department of Energy – Energy Saver