What lighting costs to run, by state
Every light fixture and lamp in and immediately outside the home.
Figures cover all homes. Each is the difference lighting makes to a year’s bill on the cheapest and dearest published plan in that state, not a rate multiplied by a wattage.
Pilot data. 450 tariffs from 45 utilities, retrieved September 2, 2026. This is a sample, not national coverage — a utility missing here is one that has not been indexed yet.
| State | Used per year | Cheapest plan | Dearest plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Yorknot indexed | 550 kWh | $21.46 | $238.52 |
| Washingtonnot indexed | 736 kWh | $38.52 | $112.08 |
| New Jerseynot indexed | 637 kWh | $43.93 | $174.52 |
| Ohionot indexed | 628 kWh | $44.19 | $61.92 |
| Coloradonot indexed | 669 kWh | $49.49 | $109.36 |
| Massachusettsnot indexed | 525 kWh | $50.28 | $177.60 |
| Texasnot indexed | 804 kWh | $54.71 | $144.72 |
| Virginianot indexed | 761 kWh | $57.07 | $187.48 |
| Minnesotanot indexed | 674 kWh | $58.52 | $109.12 |
| North Carolinanot indexed | 673 kWh | $58.75 | $98.13 |
| Arizonanot indexed | 655 kWh | $60.34 | $108.45 |
| Pennsylvanianot indexed | 642 kWh | $64.08 | $143.88 |
| Illinoisnot indexed | 622 kWh | $66.12 | $66.12 |
| Georgianot indexed | 839 kWh | $70.08 | $135.92 |
| Floridanot indexed | 581 kWh | $76.32 | $93.02 |
| Californianot indexed | 527 kWh | $81.24 | $273.04 |
| Michigannot indexed | 588 kWh | $82.80 | $144.92 |
| Oregonnot indexed | 744 kWh | $83.92 | $142.20 |