How much does it cost to run a security floodlight?

A security floodlight costs about 0.5¢ per hour, 6.2¢ a day, $1.88 a month and $23 a year at typical use (11 hours a day) and the U.S. average rate of 17.99¢/kWh. A dusk-to-dawn LED floodlight of about 30 W running 11 hours a night uses about 120 kWh a year; motion-only operation cuts that to a few kWh.

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Cost by setting

Setting	Watts	Per hour	Per day	Per month	Per year
LED flood (2,500 lm)	30	0.5¢	6.2¢	$1.88	$23
LED flood (5,000 lm)	50	0.9¢	10¢	$3.08	$37
Twin halogen flood	300	5.4¢	60¢	$18.14	$218

At 11 hours a day and 17.99¢/kWh.

Cost by hours of use

Hours per day	kWh/day	Per day	Per month	Per year (all year)
1 hour	0.05	1.0¢	$0.29	$3
2 hours	0.08	1.5¢	$0.45	$5
4 hours	0.14	2.5¢	$0.77	$9
8 hours	0.26	4.6¢	$1.40	$17
12 hours	0.37	6.7¢	$2.04	$24
24 hours	0.72	13¢	$3.94	$47

Cost to run a security floodlight in every state

The same security floodlight costs $15 a year in North Dakota and $55 in Hawaii, at each state's average residential rate (12 months ending July 2026).

State	Rate	Per hour	Per month	Per year
North Dakota	12.32¢	0.4¢	$1.29	$15
Idaho	12.65¢	0.4¢	$1.32	$16
Nebraska	12.86¢	0.4¢	$1.34	$16
Louisiana	12.99¢	0.4¢	$1.36	$16
Utah	13.32¢	0.4¢	$1.39	$17
Nevada	13.36¢	0.4¢	$1.39	$17
Arkansas	13.43¢	0.4¢	$1.40	$17
Tennessee	13.56¢	0.4¢	$1.42	$17
Oklahoma	13.70¢	0.4¢	$1.43	$17
Montana	13.84¢	0.4¢	$1.44	$17
Kentucky	13.92¢	0.4¢	$1.45	$17
Missouri	13.95¢	0.4¢	$1.46	$17
Wyoming	14.01¢	0.4¢	$1.46	$18
Washington	14.12¢	0.4¢	$1.47	$18
Iowa	14.13¢	0.4¢	$1.48	$18
South Dakota	14.20¢	0.4¢	$1.48	$18
Mississippi	14.77¢	0.4¢	$1.54	$19
North Carolina	14.77¢	0.4¢	$1.54	$19
Kansas	15.09¢	0.5¢	$1.58	$19
Georgia	15.12¢	0.5¢	$1.58	$19
New Mexico	15.32¢	0.5¢	$1.60	$19
Florida	15.39¢	0.5¢	$1.61	$19
Arizona	15.40¢	0.5¢	$1.61	$19
West Virginia	15.48¢	0.5¢	$1.62	$19
Oregon	15.50¢	0.5¢	$1.62	$19
South Carolina	15.64¢	0.5¢	$1.63	$20
Texas	15.96¢	0.5¢	$1.67	$20
Minnesota	16.22¢	0.5¢	$1.69	$20
Alabama	16.44¢	0.5¢	$1.72	$21
Virginia	16.48¢	0.5¢	$1.72	$21
Colorado	16.58¢	0.5¢	$1.73	$21
Indiana	16.94¢	0.5¢	$1.77	$21
Delaware	17.79¢	0.5¢	$1.86	$22
Ohio	18.25¢	0.5¢	$1.91	$23
Wisconsin	18.74¢	0.6¢	$1.96	$23
Illinois	18.79¢	0.6¢	$1.96	$24
Pennsylvania	20.70¢	0.6¢	$2.16	$26
Maryland	21.03¢	0.6¢	$2.20	$26
Michigan	21.05¢	0.6¢	$2.20	$26
New Jersey	23.78¢	0.7¢	$2.48	$30
Vermont	23.80¢	0.7¢	$2.48	$30
District of Columbia	24.20¢	0.7¢	$2.53	$30
New Hampshire	26.67¢	0.8¢	$2.78	$33
Alaska	26.85¢	0.8¢	$2.80	$34
Connecticut	27.99¢	0.8¢	$2.92	$35
New York	28.39¢	0.9¢	$2.96	$36
Rhode Island	29.27¢	0.9¢	$3.06	$37
Maine	29.31¢	0.9¢	$3.06	$37
Massachusetts	30.43¢	0.9¢	$3.18	$38
California	32.99¢	1.0¢	$3.44	$41
Hawaii	43.51¢	1.3¢	$4.54	$55

How to cut the cost

Switch from dusk-to-dawn to motion-activated; most lights then run under 30 minutes a night.
Replace twin 150 W halogen floods with a 30-50 W LED flood.
Aim lights down and set motion sensitivity to avoid false triggers from street traffic.

Cheaper ways to get the job done

Motion sensor LED floodlight

Runs only when triggered, cutting hours by 90%+.

See options on Amazon

Solar motion security light

No wiring or energy cost for secondary areas.

See options on Amazon

We may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. It never changes the numbers we show. Disclosure.

Compare with similar appliances

Appliance	Watts	Typical use	Per month	Per year
Security floodlight	30	11 hours a day	$1.88	$23
Landscape lighting	50	6 hours a day	$1.64	$20
Halogen floodlight	90	3 hours a day	$1.48	$18
Security camera	5	24 hours a day	$0.66	$8
Video doorbell	4	24 hours a day	$0.53	$6
Lava lamp	25	6 hours a day	$0.82	$10
LED strip lights	24	5 hours a day	$0.66	$8

Compare these side by side at your rate →

Head-to-head comparisons

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to run a security floodlight per hour?

A security floodlight drawing 30 watts uses 0.03 kWh per hour. At the U.S. average of 17.99¢/kWh that's 0.5¢ per hour. In North Dakota (12.32¢) it's 0.4¢. In Hawaii (43.51¢) it's 1.3¢.

How much does it cost to run a security floodlight per month?

At typical use (11 hours a day), a security floodlight costs about $1.88 a month and $23 a year, at the U.S. average rate. Enter your ZIP in the calculator above for your utility's rate.

How many watts does a security floodlight use?

Most security floodlights use 10 to 300 watts, depending on the setting (led flood (2,500 lm) 30 W, led flood (5,000 lm) 50 W, twin halogen flood 300 W). Plugged in but off, it still draws about 1 W of standby power. Check the label on the back or bottom for your model's exact rating.

How many kWh does a security floodlight use?

About 0.34 kWh a day and 125 kWh a year at typical use (11 hours a day).

Does a security floodlight use a lot of electricity?

No. At about 125 kWh a year it's a small share (1.2%) of the average U.S. home's 10,492 kWh.

Is it cheaper to run a security floodlight or a landscape lighting?

At typical use, a security floodlight costs about $23 a year versus $20 for a landscape lighting. So the landscape lighting is cheaper by about $3 a year. Use the comparison table above to compare them at your own settings.

How can I lower the cost of running a security floodlight?

Switch from dusk-to-dawn to motion-activated; most lights then run under 30 minutes a night.
Replace twin 150 W halogen floods with a 30-50 W LED flood.
Aim lights down and set motion sensitivity to avoid false triggers from street traffic.

Rates updated 2026-10-21: EIA data through July 2026. Typical wattage and usage reviewed against DOE, ENERGY STAR and manufacturer specs. Methodology.