lighting · 15W typical

Running a led light strip (5m) costs about $0.30/month.

That's the typical led light strip (5m) at 15W, run 4 hours a day at the US-average rate of 16.5¢/kWh. Change any of those and the number moves — use the calculator below to see yours.

Estimated cost

$0.30/month

$0.01 per day$3.61 per year1.80 kWh monthly

Wattage

Hours / day

Your rate

Full-power draw for 4 hours at 16.5¢/kWh.

How you use it

Cost shifts with how long it's on.

The same led light strip (5m) can cost very different amounts depending on usage patterns. Three common scenarios, at the US-average rate.

under-cabinet task light

$0.30

per month

kitchen prep area

4 hrs/day·$3.61/yr

behind-TV bias light

$0.30

per month

evening viewing

4 hrs/day·$3.61/yr

all-night accent

$0.74

per month

running overnight as nightlight

10 hrs/day·$9.03/yr

Where you live

$0.54 spread between the cheapest and priciest states.

Same appliance, same hours of use, different zip code — the monthly cost varies this much.

State	Rate	Monthly	Yearly
Hawaii	41.2¢	$0.74	$9.02
California	31.4¢	$0.57	$6.88
Massachusetts	30.8¢	$0.55	$6.75
Connecticut	28.7¢	$0.52	$6.29
Rhode Island	27.9¢	$0.50	$6.11
New Hampshire	24.6¢	$0.44	$5.39
Alaska	24.3¢	$0.44	$5.32
New York	22.3¢	$0.40	$4.88
Maine	22.1¢	$0.40	$4.84
Vermont	21.5¢	$0.39	$4.71
Michigan	19.3¢	$0.35	$4.23
New Jersey	19.1¢	$0.34	$4.18
Maryland	18.4¢	$0.33	$4.03
Pennsylvania	18.1¢	$0.33	$3.96
District of Columbia	17.8¢	$0.32	$3.90
Wisconsin	17.4¢	$0.31	$3.81
Delaware	17.2¢	$0.31	$3.77
Illinois	16.9¢	$0.30	$3.70
Ohio	16.6¢	$0.30	$3.64
Nevada	16.3¢	$0.29	$3.57
Indiana	15.8¢	$0.28	$3.46
Virginia	15.7¢	$0.28	$3.44
Minnesota	15.6¢	$0.28	$3.42
Colorado	15.4¢	$0.28	$3.37
Alabama	15.2¢	$0.27	$3.33
West Virginia	15.2¢	$0.27	$3.33
Florida	15.1¢	$0.27	$3.31
New Mexico	14.8¢	$0.27	$3.24
Texas	14.8¢	$0.27	$3.24
Arizona	14.7¢	$0.26	$3.22
South Carolina	14.7¢	$0.26	$3.22
Kansas	14.6¢	$0.26	$3.20
Georgia	14.2¢	$0.26	$3.11
Iowa	14.1¢	$0.25	$3.09
North Carolina	13.9¢	$0.25	$3.04
Missouri	13.6¢	$0.24	$2.98
Oregon	13.4¢	$0.24	$2.93
Tennessee	13.3¢	$0.24	$2.91
Kentucky	13.2¢	$0.24	$2.89
Mississippi	13.1¢	$0.24	$2.87
Oklahoma	13.1¢	$0.24	$2.87
South Dakota	12.7¢	$0.23	$2.78
Montana	12.4¢	$0.22	$2.72
Nebraska	12.2¢	$0.22	$2.67
Arkansas	12.1¢	$0.22	$2.65
Washington	12.1¢	$0.22	$2.65
Louisiana	11.9¢	$0.21	$2.61
Wyoming	11.6¢	$0.21	$2.54
North Dakota	11.5¢	$0.21	$2.52
Utah	11.4¢	$0.21	$2.50
Idaho	11.3¢	$0.20	$2.47

Efficient vs. inefficient

A $13.25/year difference across the wattage range.

Swapping a high-draw model for an efficient one pays for itself. Here's what that looks like annually at typical usage.

Most efficient

$0.10 per month

$1.20 per year

Typical

15W

$0.30 per month

$3.61 per year

High draw

60W

$1.19 per month

$14.45 per year

When it hits hardest

year-round peak

Constant accent-lighting use.

Ways to cut the cost

1
Use schedules instead of leaving on all night
Cuts watts 60-80%
2
Lower brightness — most strips draw watts proportional to level
50% brightness = 50% watts
3
Use dimmer colors (warm white) — they draw less than RGB
Cuts watts 15-25% vs full color modes

Real-world wattages

Pulled from actual spec sheets.

Brand	Model	Watts
Philips Hue	Lightstrip Plus 80-inch	20W
Govee	Color LED Strip 16.4 ft	24W
LIFX	Lightstrip 2m	17W

Picks that actually move the needle

Three products worth comparing if you're thinking about upgrading or supplementing what you have.

Some links below are affiliate links. If you buy, we may earn a small commission — it never changes the price you pay, and we only recommend picks we would stand behind.

Govee RGB LED Strip Lights 16.4 ft

App-controlled dimming saves real watts

$20-30

Philips Hue Lightstrip Plus

Integrates with smart home for schedules

$70-90

Smart Plug with Timer

Auto-off if strip lacks schedule

$18-25