What lighting costs to run in Michigan
Michigan homes use 588 kWh a year on lighting. Priced on top of the rest of the bill, that costs $82.80 to $144.92 a year across 7 published Michigan plans — a $62.12 gap. Checked September 2, 2026.
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Every priced plan, average
| Plan | Per year | vs cheapest | Effective |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residential Service Secondary Non-Transmitting Meter Rate (RSM)✓ cheapestflat rate | $82.80 | — | 15.3¢ |
| Residential Smart Hours Rate (RSH)flat rate | $82.80 | — | 15.3¢ |
| Residential Nighttime Savers Rate (RPM)flat rate | $82.80 | — | 15.3¢ |
| Residential Nighttime Savers Rate (RPM)time-of-use | $135.03 | +$52.23 | 24.2¢ |
| Residential Smart Hours Rate (RSH)time-of-use | $136.57 | +$53.77 | 24.5¢ |
| Residential Summer On-Peak Basic Service (RSP)time-of-use | $136.74 | +$53.94 | 24.5¢ |
| Residential Service Secondary Non-Transmitting Meter Rate (RSM)time-of-use · tiered | $144.92 | +$62.12 | 24.3¢ |
Cost across usage levels
The cheapest plan at each consumption level, showing whether the ranking holds as usage changes.
- Lighter use — cheapest $23.52 (Residential Service Secondary Non-Transmitting Meter Rate (RSM)), dearest $41.16, a $17.64 spread
- Average — cheapest $82.80 (Residential Service Secondary Non-Transmitting Meter Rate (RSM)), dearest $144.92, a $62.12 spread
- Heavier use — cheapest $99.72 (Residential Service Secondary Non-Transmitting Meter Rate (RSM)), dearest $174.32, a $74.60 spread
What lighting costs here
Across 7 plans priced in Michigan, lighting adds $82.80 to $144.92 a year — $6.90 to $12.08 a month. The median plan puts lighting at $135.03 a year.
Cheapest for lighting: Residential Service Secondary Non-Transmitting Meter Rate (RSM), Consumers Energy Co. Dearest: Residential Service Secondary Non-Transmitting Meter Rate (RSM), Consumers Energy Co.
Those 588 kWh are billed at 14.1¢–24.6¢, against a 24.2¢ whole-bill average on the median plan: they land in the last tier the household reaches, so the average rate understates them by up to 0.4¢ per kWh.
What Michigan homes use
EIA's 2020 residential survey found 588 kWh a year across 388 sampled homes that run one, near the national 654 kWh. The middle half spans 167 kWh to 708 kWh, so lighting varies by 541 kWh between one household and another.
Every light fixture and lamp in and immediately outside the home. That average covers all homes — 100% of homes here.
That makes lighting about 7% of the electricity a Michigan home uses. The remaining 7,782 kWh is what lighting is billed on top of, and on a tiered or time-of-use plan that is what sets the rate it meets.
Light and heavy use of lighting
A household in the lighter quarter runs lighting for 167 kWh a year and pays $23.52 on the cheapest plan. One in the heavier quarter runs it for 708 kWh and pays $99.72 — $76.20 more for lighting on the same tariff.
Limits
A 2020 survey average for Michigan, not a measurement of any one home, priced against the 7 Michigan tariffs WattClear has ingested — not every plan sold there.
New to these terms? The methodology page explains tiered bands, time-of-use periods and fixed charges, and sets out exactly what the rate engine assumes.
Estimate — your actual bill may differ.
Tariff structures from NREL/OpenEI Utility Rate Database (CC0 1.0), retrieved September 2, 2026.
Location resolved through the US Census Bureau Geocoder (Public domain) at 42.9634, -85.6681.