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How Much Does a Incandescent Light Bulb (60W) Cost to Run?

A traditional 60-watt incandescent bulb produces about 800 lumens. 90% of the energy is wasted as heat rather than light.

watts
hrs/day
$/kWh

Daily Cost

$0.05

0.3 kWh

Monthly Cost

$1.44

9.0 kWh

Yearly Cost

$17.52

109.5 kWh

For perspective...

At $17.52/year, this costs about the same as 3 streaming service months. A minor line item.

Energy-Saving Tips for Your Incandescent Light Bulb (60W)

  • Switch to LED — a 9W LED produces the same light as a 60W incandescent
  • Each bulb you swap saves about $7/year at average electricity rates
  • LEDs last 25,000+ hours vs 1,000 for incandescent, so they also save on replacement costs