How Much Electricity Do Permanent Outdoor Lights Use?

Last updated August 2026 · Stay Off The Roof — Outdoor Lighting Experts · ROC #344820 · Phoenix metro

Permanent outdoor LED lights use roughly 3–10 watts per fixture, which works out to about $5–$20 per month for a typical home. Because they’re low-voltage LEDs running on a schedule — not all night, not at full brightness — the cost of lighting your entire roofline lands somewhere near a couple of streaming subscriptions.

How do you estimate your own cost?

The math is simple: (total watts × hours per night × days ÷ 1,000) × your electricity rate. Because permanent trim systems draw only a few watts per fixture, even a fully lit roofline running five or six hours a night stays in single or low double digits per month. Three things move your number: how many fixtures your roofline needs, how long you run them, and your utility rate.

Why is it so much cheaper than old Christmas lights?

LEDs use about 85–90% less electricity than incandescent bulbs, which waste most of their energy as heat. The gap is dramatic in practice: a modest holiday display costs roughly $2 a season with LEDs versus $10–$15 with incandescent, and a large display can be $40–$50 versus $300+. LEDs also last about 10–25× longer, so you’re not replacing strings every year either.

Does running them year-round cost more?

A little — but less than you’d think, and you control it entirely. Most homeowners run warm white for a few hours after sunset rather than blazing full color all night. Scheduling in the app is the single biggest lever: set an on-time at dusk and an off-time at bedtime and you cut runtime substantially without ever noticing a difference.

Three easy ways to keep the bill low

• Schedule, don’t leave them on. Sunset-to-bedtime is plenty.
• Dim for everyday. Warm white at reduced brightness looks better anyway — full output is for holidays.
• Use zones. Light the front elevation nightly and save the full roofline for when it matters.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much electricity do permanent outdoor lights use?

About 3–10 watts per fixture, which typically totals $5–$20 per month for a whole home depending on fixture count, runtime, and your utility rate.

Are permanent LED lights cheaper to run than Christmas lights?

Yes. LEDs use roughly 85–90% less electricity than incandescent lights and last far longer, so both running and replacement costs drop sharply.

Will permanent lights noticeably raise my power bill?

For most homes, no. At a few dollars to about twenty a month — and less if you schedule and dim — it’s a small line item.