What are the average LED light running costs in the UK?

LED lights last much longer than standard light bulbs and cost less to run – making them a great way to save money. Read on to discover the average LED light running costs in the UK.

Switching from standard light bulbs to LEDs can be a great way to save money.

Not only do LED bulbs last much longer than incandescent bulbs, but they also use up to 90% less energy, making them much cheaper to run.

In this guide, we’ll break down the average LED light running costs and explain the various factors involved.

What are LED lights and why are they cost-effective?

LED stands for Light Emitting Diode.

These lights are able to produce light up to 90% more efficiently than incandescent light bulbs, and last much, much longer.

In fact, while an incandescent bulb lasts roughly 1,000 hours on average, an LED bulb can last up to 50,000 hours!

How LED lights work

While incandescent light bulbs work by creating heat, LEDs work differently.

Essentially, they contain two conductive materials that are placed in contact with one another. When electricity flows to the diode, the atoms in one material become charged with energy.

This energy is then released in the form of electrons, into the other conductive material. This is what creates visible light.

Meanwhile, the heat produced is absorbed into a heat sink to prevent performance issues.

Benefits of using LED lights

There are lots of benefits to using LED lights. Here are some of the main ones.

• Energy efficient

• Low running costs

• Long lifespan

• Light up immediately

• Eco-friendly

• Low heat output

• Durable

• Brighter than other bulbs with the same wattage

It’s also worth noting that, in the UK, sales of incandescent bulbs have now been phased out.

With that in mind, even if you don’t fancy switching to LEDs right away, doing so once your existing bulbs fail is a no-brainer.

How much does it cost to run LED lights?

The average cost of running a 3W LED bulb for an hour is £0.00075 — or 0.075 pence.

This is based on the energy price cap for 1st January to 31st March 2025 in the UK, which is 24.86 pence per kilowatt hour (kWh).

The cost of running LED lights can vary based on the wattage, how many bulbs you have in your home, how much you pay for electricity and how many hours a day you have them on.

But regardless of these factors, you’ll usually find that LED bulbs are significantly cheaper to run than other types of lighting.

Cost comparison between LED and traditional bulbs

LED bulbs are brighter than traditional bulbs with the same wattage.

This means that a 3W LED is roughly equivalent to a 40W incandescent bulb in brightness — but uses just a fraction of the power.

Per hour

• It costs around £0.00075 per hour to run a 3W LED bulb

• It costs up to around 0.0099 per hour to run a 40W incandescent bulb

Per year

Based on 10 hours a day, 365 days a year…

• It costs around £2.74 per year to run one 3W LED bulb

• It costs up to around £36.14 per year to run a 40W incandescent bulb

But bear in mind the higher costs associated with incandescent bulbs aren’t just to do with energy efficiency.

Rather, you’ll also need to factor in the cost of replacing these bulbs after around 1,000 days, since they have a shorter lifespan.

Factors that impact LED light running costs

As we’ve touched upon already, your LED light running costs will vary based on a few key factors.

Wattage of the bulb

The higher the wattage of your LED light bulb, the higher your running costs will be.

This is because a higher wattage will use more electricity to run for the same amount of time.

Number of bulbs in your home

It goes without saying that the more bulbs you have in your home, the higher your running costs will be.

Although of course, you can counter this by having them on for fewer hours. Which brings us onto…

Hours of use per day

The longer you leave your lights on, the more electricity they’ll use and therefore the higher your running costs will climb.

In this way, if you work from home, you can typically expect your running costs to be higher than someone who spends most of the day out of the house.

Cost of electricity

Last but not least, bear in mind that the price of electricity is constantly changing, and you may pay a different rate than others based on whether you’re on a fixed rate or standard variable tariff.

For the period between the 1st January and 31st March 2025, the energy price cap for electricity in the UK is 24.86 pence per kilowatt hour (kWh).

Calculating the cost of running LED Christmas lights

It can cost from just 37 pence (for a Christmas tree) to £6.78 (for an outdoor light installation) to run LED lights for a whole Christmas.

However, bear in mind that this depends on the wattage, as well as how many Christmas lights you have and how long you run them for.

Running costs for Christmas trees

• 1,000 compact LEDs rated at 6W

• On for 8 hours per day

• £0.2486/kWh X 0.006kW X 8 hours = 1.2 pence per day

= 37 pence for the whole of December

Running costs for outdoor LED light installations

• 15W X 4 lengths of netting lights = 8m X 2m = 800 LEDS = 60W

• 40m of string lights = 300 LEDS = 15W

• 4m of cluster lights = 300 LEDs = 5W

• 20m of icicle lights = 1000 LEDs = 30W

That is on for eight hours a day, you can expect to pay:

£0.2486/kWh X 0.11kW X 8 hours = 21.88 pence per day

= £6.78 for the whole of December

Now you know how much LED light installations cost to run, why not find out the cost of Christmas light installation?

Find a qualified electrician near you

Swapping your traditional bulbs for LED ones is a no-brainer.

As well as cutting your energy bills, you won’t have to replace them as often. Plus, they’re better for the environment, meaning they can help you to make your home greener.

All that remains is to find an electrician near you who can help you make the swap completely hassle-free.

At Checkatrade, all our tradespeople have to pass up to 12 checks to be given our seal of approval and regularly receive reviews from homeowners on everything from punctuality to professionalism.

We even check all the reviews our trades receive to make sure they’re from real homeowners.

In fact, we’re so confident in the quality of the trades on Checkatrade that if you book through us, we guarantee their work up to £1,000 (guaranteed for 12 months – Eligibility and T&Cs apply).

Just enter your postcode into the box below to find a qualified electrician near you.

We check the reviews on Checkatrade are from real people, and that trades meet our high standards.

FAQs

How much electricity does a 5W LED bulb use per hour?

A 5W LED bulb uses 0.005 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity per hour.

Are LED lights cheaper to run than energy-saving bulbs?

Yes! LED lights use significantly less energy than energy-saving bulbs (also known as CFLs) and have a much longer lifespan.

How do you calculate the yearly cost of LED lighting?

To calculate the yearly cost of LED lighting, multiply the average cost of running an LED bulb per hour (£0.00075), the number of bulbs in your home and the number of hours per day you typically have the lights on for. Then, multiply that by 365 (the number of days in the year).

What are the best LED lights for energy savings?

To find the best LED lights for energy savings, check the energy label. The higher the rating, the more energy efficient the LED light will be — and the more you should save.

Can LED lights be recycled?

Yes, LED lights can be recycled. You can usually recycle them at your local recycling centre or sometimes you might find recycling containers at large retail distributors or DIY stores.

How do I choose the right wattage of LED bulb?

Instead of focusing on wattage, look for how many lumens the light bulb is. This indicates brightness — the higher the number of lumens, the brighter the light.

Are dimmable LED bulbs available?

Yes, you can buy dimmable LED light bulbs, but you’ll need to make sure you have a compatible dimmer switch.

Can I buy smart LED bulbs?

Yes, there are lots of smart LED lights available in a choice of colours and styles. Many include features that allow you to control multiple lights remotely using an app on your smartphone, via a smart home assistant, or with just your voice.

How much do LED lights save on energy bills?

By swapping just one 40W incandescent light bulb with a 3W LED light bulb, you could save £33.40 per year (assuming you have it on for 10 hours a day).

The average homeowner has around 34 light bulbs, so if you switch all your light bulbs, you could be looking at around a much bigger saving!