At the US average rate for homes in 2025, 17.3¢ per kWh, a GE mini light set rated 72 watts costs about 7.5¢ for a 6 hour night, or $2.24 over 30 nights. GE’s LED C6 set of 100 lights, rated 8 watts, costs about 25¢ over the same 30 nights.
W
h
¢/kWh
The rate starts at the US average for homes in 2025, and the hours at 6 as an example. For several sets, type a sum, such as 72 + 72 + 40.8.
Cost to run
$2.24 over 30 days
72 W × 6 h = 0.43 kWh a day. 0.43 kWh × 17.3¢ = 7.5¢ a day. $2.24 a month (30 days), $27.28 a year (365 days).
Use the watts on the tag near each set’s plug. The cost assumes the sets draw those watts the whole time they’re on.
For your own rate, divide the electricity charges on your bill by the kWh it lists, then multiply by 100 for cents.
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What some sets cost to run
The cost of named light sets at 17.3 cents per kWh, from the watts on their instruction sheets
Set
Watts
An hour
A 6 hour night
30 nights
Holiday Living clear C9 set, 25 incandescent bulbs
175 W
3¢
18¢
$5.45
GE mini light set (61515LO)
72 W
1.2¢
7.5¢
$2.24
GE 100-light mini set with fuse bulbs (IM-56)
40.8 W
0.7¢
4.2¢
$1.27
GE LED C6 set, 100 lights
8 W
0.1¢
0.8¢
25¢
Six hours a night is an example. Rounded to the cent or tenth of a cent.
Holiday Living’s clear C9 set of 25 incandescent bulbs is rated 175 watts, more than twice the GE mini set’s 72.
Use your own sets’ numbers. Each set’s rating, in watts or amps, is printed on the tag on its cord, within 6 inches of the plug, and in its instructions.
LED sets
GE’s 100-light mini set with fuse bulbs is rated 40.8 watts, and its LED C6 set of 100 lights 8 watts, about a fifth as much. Over 30 nights of 6 hours, that’s $1.27 against 25¢.
Your own rate
Over the same 30 nights, the GE mini set costs $1.60 at North Dakota’s average for homes, 12.36¢ per kWh from January to July 2026 and the lowest of any state, and $6.00 at Hawaii’s 46.28¢, the highest.
Turn holiday lights off when you go to bed or leave the house. Lights left on could short out and start a fire.
Common questions
The tag only lists amps. How do I get the watts?
Multiply the amps by 120. A GE mini set rated 0.6 amps uses 72 watts.
What does a display of several sets cost?
Add up the watts of every set, then work out the cost of the total. Two 72 watt sets and one 40.8 watt set come to 184.8 watts: about 19 cents for a 6 hour night at 17.3 cents per kWh, or $5.75 over 30 nights.
The default rate is the US Energy Information Administration’s average residential price, the set ratings come from the light makers’ own instruction sheets, and the bedtime advice from the CPSC. Checked against published data from GE, Holiday Living, CPSC, US EIA and Nicolas Holiday.
See all 6 sources
GE mini light set instructions, models 61515LO and 61516LO (Nicolas Holiday, 2025): set watts, end-to-end maximum, amps times 120, fuses, GFCI outlet outdoors
Holiday Living light set instructions: clear C9 set W11C0154 (432 W maximum) and 6.5 ft. pre-lit Seneca Pine tree W14L0441 (lights rated 24 W, 216 W maximum)
US Consumer Product Safety Commission, “Do’s and Don’ts of Holiday Decorating” (2009): tested lights, damaged sets, lights off at bedtime
GE 50, 100 and 150 light mini sets with fuse bulbs, instructions IM-56 (Nicolas Holiday, 2021): fuse bulbs, bulb ratings, 50-bulb circuits
US Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly (released September 24, 2026), Table 5.3: average price of electricity to ultimate customers, 2025 annual residential, and Table 5.6.B: by state, year to date through July 2026
LED 100 C6 light set instructions, model 3LED-C6-100(0.067) (Nicolas Holiday Inc., 2014; support at geholidaylighting.com): rated 8.0 W
General guidance from manufacturer and standards data. Products vary, so check the label and the maker's instructions.