You're moving into a smaller place, and the light bulbs you already own suddenly feel like a problem. Fewer rooms means every fixture counts, and the electric bill is one of the few household costs you can actually push down without giving anything up. So here's the question that decides everything for this category: what does a bulb cost you to run every month, not just to buy?
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What actually matters
- Wattage, not brightness claims. A bulb's real job is lumens per watt. A 60-watt-equivalent LED usually draws somewhere around 8 to 10 watts, while the old incandescent it replaces drew 60. That gap is the whole point.
- Hours per day. Running cost is wattage times hours times your electric rate. A bulb on 5 hours a day costs roughly a third of the same bulb left on 15 hours a day.
- Your actual electric rate. US residential rates vary widely by state, commonly somewhere between about 11 and 25 cents per kWh. Everything below scales with that number, so treat the figures as typical, not exact.
- Color temperature and dimmability. Soft white (around 2700K) suits living spaces; cooler white (around 4000K to 5000K) suits kitchens and utility areas. If a fixture has a dimmer, the bulb has to say it's dimmable.
- Fixture fit. Smaller homes often mean smaller fixtures — candelabra bases, globe bulbs, recessed cans. A cheap bulb that doesn't fit is not a cheap bulb.
- Lifespan. Most quality LEDs are rated somewhere in the 10,000 to 25,000 hour range. At 5 hours a day, 15,000 hours is roughly eight years of use.
The running cost math, in plain numbers
Take one bulb drawing 9 watts, on 5 hours a day. That's 45 watt-hours daily, about 1.35 kWh a month. At a typical 16 cents per kWh, that's roughly 22 cents a month per bulb. Ten bulbs in that pattern lands near $2.20 a month, or about $26 a year.
If this helped, you'll also want to read Led Bulbs Worth Buying? What It Costs Over a Year, How Much Does It Cost to Leave a Fan On All Day? and Are Cheap LED Bulbs Worth It? We Did the Math.
Now swap in a 60-watt incandescent in the same socket. Same 5 hours a day is 9 kWh a month, roughly $1.44 per bulb. Ten of those is about $14.40 a month and $173 a year. The difference — call it $140 to $150 a year for a small home — is what you're really shopping for.
Measuring before you buy
If you want your own numbers instead of my estimates, a plug-in meter settles it. The P3 P4460 Kill A Watt EZ is the standard tool for this, typically around $30 to $40. You plug a lamp into it and it reports actual watts and cumulative kWh. Owner reviews consistently describe it as simple to use, and the main complaint is that the display isn't backlit. If you're deciding whether to replace a whole house of bulbs, it pays for itself in one billing cycle.
What the bulbs themselves cost
Bulb pricing in 2026 is genuinely cheap and fairly stable. Standard A19 LED two-packs typically run $5 to $12. Four-packs usually land $10 to $20. Specialty shapes — candelabra, globe, flood — run higher, often $12 to $25 for a multi-pack. Smart bulbs sit well above that, usually $15 to $30 each.
Smart plugs vs. smart bulbs
For a smaller home, smart plugs are often the smarter buy. You keep cheap dumb LEDs and put the automation at the outlet, which also lets you schedule lamps, fans, and holiday lights from one app.
The Kasa Smart Plug HS103 is the single-outlet workhorse, typically $8 to $13. It's small enough not to block the second outlet, works with Alexa and Google, and needs no hub. Downsides: no energy monitoring on this model, and it's 2.4GHz Wi-Fi only. Best for someone automating one or two lamps.
The Kasa Smart Plug HS103P2 is the same plug sold as a two-pack, usually $15 to $22. Same features, same limits. Best if you already know you want two.
The Govee Smart Plug typically runs $10 to $16 and adds energy monitoring on some versions, which is useful if you want to see what a lamp actually draws. Reviewers often mention the app is busier than Kasa's, and setup occasionally frustrates people. Good pick if tracking watts matters more to you than a clean interface.
The Wyze Plug usually sells for around $8 to $12, often less in multi-packs. It's the budget option and works fine for basic schedules. The trade-off is a smaller ecosystem and app reliability complaints in some owner reviews.
The Amazon Smart Plug sits around $13 to $25 depending on sales. Setup is nearly instant if you already use Alexa, and there's no separate app to learn. It only works with Alexa, which is a real limitation if you're a Google household.
The Leviton Decora Smart Plug is the premium pick, typically $25 to $35. It's built for people who want a more substantial, wall-wart-style unit and wider smart-home compatibility. It costs roughly double the budget options for the same core function.
Comparison table
| Product | Price | Best For | Key Pros |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kasa Smart Plug HS103 | Typically $8–$13 | One lamp, simple schedule | Compact, no hub, Alexa/Google |
| Kasa Smart Plug HS103P2 | Typically $15–$22 | Two lamps at once | Same plug, two-pack value |
| Govee Smart Plug | Typically $10–$16 | Watching actual energy use | Energy monitoring on some versions |
| Wyze Plug | Typically $8–$12 | Lowest upfront cost | Cheap, works with schedules |
| Amazon Smart Plug | Typically $13–$25 | Alexa households | Fastest setup, no extra app |
| Leviton Decora Smart Plug | Typically $25–$35 | Wider compatibility | Sturdy build, broad ecosystem |
| P3 P4460 Kill A Watt EZ | Typically $30–$40 | Measuring before you commit | Real watts and kWh readings |
The bottom line
For a smaller home, the running cost matters far more than the sticker price. A 9-watt LED on 5 hours a day costs roughly 22 cents a month; the incandescent it replaces costs about $1.44. Multiply that across ten fixtures and you're looking at somewhere near $140 a year in savings, which dwarfs any difference between bulb brands.
Buy cheap LEDs in multi-packs, put your money into a couple of smart plugs for the lamps you actually want to schedule, and if you're unsure where your electricity is going, measure it with a meter before you replace everything. That's the whole strategy.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does one LED bulb cost to run per month?
A 9-watt bulb on 5 hours a day uses about 1.35 kWh a month, which works out to roughly 22 cents at a typical 16 cents per kWh. A 60-watt incandescent in the same socket costs about $1.44 a month.
Are smart plugs worth it compared to smart bulbs?
For most smaller homes, yes. A Kasa Smart Plug HS103 typically costs $8 to $13, while smart bulbs usually run $15 to $30 each. Smart plugs also let you schedule lamps and fans, not just lighting.
How do I find out what my bulbs actually cost to run?
Use a plug-in meter like the P3 P4460 Kill A Watt EZ, typically $30 to $40. It reports real watts and cumulative kWh, so you can calculate your own monthly cost instead of estimating.