Night light vs. LED bulb: running cost
A night light is cheaper to run: about $0 a year versus $2 for an LED bulb at typical use and 17.99¢/kWh, a $1 difference.
| Night light | LED bulb | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical watts | 1 W | 9 W |
| Watt range | 0–7 W | 4–20 W |
| Typical use | 12 hours a day | 3 hours a day |
| Energy per year | 2 kWh | 10 kWh |
| Cost per hour | 0.01¢ | 0.2¢ |
| Cost per day | 0.1¢ | 0.5¢ |
| Cost per month | $0.03 | $0.15 |
| Cost per year | $0 | $2 |
| Per year in Hawaii (43.51¢) | $1 | $4 |
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What drives the difference
- Night light: LED night lights use about 0.3-0.5 W; older incandescent C7 night lights use 4-7 W, roughly 10x more over 12 hours a night.
- LED bulb: LED bulbs use about 75-85% less power than incandescents for the same light: a 60 W-equivalent LED draws about 8-9 W. DOE uses about 3 hours a day for typical residential lighting.
Ways to cut either cost
LED dusk-to-dawn night light
Uses under 0.5 W and turns off automatically in daylight.
See options on Amazon Motion sensor light switch
Turns lights off automatically in rooms people leave, cutting lighting hours 20-50%.
See options on AmazonWe may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. It never changes the numbers we show. Disclosure.
Frequently asked questions
Which costs more to run, a night light or an LED bulb?
At typical use and the U.S. average rate (17.99¢/kWh), an LED bulb costs about $2 a year versus $0 for a night light. That's $1 more, or 4.5× as much.
How many watts do night light and LED bulb use?
A night light typically draws 1 W (range 0–7 W). An LED bulb draws 9 W (range 4–20 W). Watts alone don't decide cost. Hours of use, cycling and standby matter just as much.
Rates: EIA, 12 months ending 2026-07. Methodology.