Turning off lights saves the most: false
False The claim: “Turning off lights saves the most” One lamp off for 5 hours a day is 4.0% of what the median refrigerator uses in a year. It would take 25 lamps to match the refrigerator, and the refrigerator runs all year.
One lamp, 18 kWh
Our scenario: a 10 W LED lamp kept off 5 hours a day saves 18.2 kWh a year. At Hawaii's 40.59 cents that is $7.41; at North Dakota's 11.81 cents, $2.16.
The median full-size refrigerator in the ENERGY STAR list (2,980 models) uses 457 kWh a year. Of the 13 appliance lines charted, only the laptop sits below one lamp.
Kilowatt-hours a year: one lamp against 13 appliances
| Item | kWh a year | Basis | Times the LED saving (18.2 kWh) |
|---|---|---|---|
| One 10 W LED, 5 h a day | 18.2 | our scenario | 1 |
| Heat pump heating | 5,026 | our scenario: 8 h a day for 150 days | 275.4 |
| Central air conditioning | 2,082 | our scenario: 8 h a day for 120 days | 114.1 |
| Heat pump water heater | 1,181 | ENERGY STAR listing, median model | 64.7 |
| Electric clothes dryer | 608 | ENERGY STAR listing, median model | 33.3 |
| Window air conditioner | 532 | ENERGY STAR listing, median model | 29.2 |
| Refrigerator, full-size | 457 | ENERGY STAR listing, median model | 25.0 |
| Freezer, full-size | 438 | ENERGY STAR listing, median model | 24.0 |
| Dehumidifier | 340 | ENERGY STAR listing, median model | 18.6 |
| Dishwasher | 239 | ENERGY STAR listing, median model | 13.1 |
| Television | 184 | ENERGY STAR report, 5 h a day scenario | 10.1 |
| Desktop computer | 48 | ENERGY STAR listing, median model | 2.6 |
| Ceiling fan | 43 | our scenario: 8 h a day for 180 days | 2.4 |
| Laptop | 13 | ENERGY STAR listing, median model | 0.7 |
Where the bigger savings are
The most efficient refrigerators in the same list (901 models meet the 2025 Most Efficient criteria) have a median of 363 kWh, 94 kWh under the overall median: 5.2 lamps' worth. For electric dryers the Most Efficient median is 154 kWh against 608, a gap of 454 kWh, or 25 lamps' worth.
Switching a lamp off costs nothing and the saving is real; it is small next to the choice of appliance. See the running cost of 18 appliances.
All 51 states: one LED off, $2.16 to $7.41 a year
| Hawaii | 40.59 | $7.41 | $185.50 | $246.79 | $215.94 | $2,040.01 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 32.54 | $5.94 | $148.71 | $197.84 | $173.11 | $1,635.42 |
| Massachusetts | 30.48 | $5.56 | $139.29 | $185.32 | $162.15 | $1,531.89 |
| Rhode Island | 29.46 | $5.38 | $134.63 | $179.12 | $156.73 | $1,480.62 |
| Connecticut | 29.38 | $5.36 | $134.27 | $178.63 | $156.30 | $1,476.60 |
| Maine | 27.78 | $5.07 | $126.95 | $168.90 | $147.79 | $1,396.19 |
| New York | 26.39 | $4.82 | $120.60 | $160.45 | $140.39 | $1,326.33 |
| Alaska | 26.09 | $4.76 | $119.23 | $158.63 | $138.80 | $1,311.25 |
| New Hampshire | 24.56 | $4.48 | $112.24 | $149.32 | $130.66 | $1,234.36 |
| Vermont | 22.92 | $4.18 | $104.74 | $139.35 | $121.93 | $1,151.93 |
| New Jersey | 22.63 | $4.13 | $103.42 | $137.59 | $120.39 | $1,137.36 |
| District of Columbia | 21.94 | $4.00 | $100.27 | $133.40 | $116.72 | $1,102.68 |
| Michigan | 20.01 | $3.65 | $91.45 | $121.66 | $106.45 | $1,005.68 |
| Maryland | 19.48 | $3.56 | $89.02 | $118.44 | $103.63 | $979.04 |
| Pennsylvania | 19.30 | $3.52 | $88.20 | $117.34 | $102.68 | $970.00 |
| Wisconsin | 18.16 | $3.31 | $82.99 | $110.41 | $96.61 | $912.70 |
| Illinois | 17.69 | $3.23 | $80.84 | $107.56 | $94.11 | $889.08 |
| Delaware | 17.13 | $3.13 | $78.28 | $104.15 | $91.13 | $860.93 |
| Ohio | 16.96 | $3.10 | $77.51 | $103.12 | $90.23 | $852.39 |
| Indiana | 16.23 | $2.96 | $74.17 | $98.68 | $86.34 | $815.70 |
| Alabama | 16.10 | $2.94 | $73.58 | $97.89 | $85.65 | $809.17 |
| Colorado | 15.85 | $2.89 | $72.43 | $96.37 | $84.32 | $796.60 |
| Minnesota | 15.82 | $2.89 | $72.30 | $96.19 | $84.16 | $795.09 |
| Texas | 15.47 | $2.82 | $70.70 | $94.06 | $82.30 | $777.50 |
| West Virginia | 15.41 | $2.81 | $70.42 | $93.69 | $81.98 | $774.49 |
| Oregon | 15.37 | $2.81 | $70.24 | $93.45 | $81.77 | $772.48 |
| Arizona | 15.32 | $2.80 | $70.01 | $93.15 | $81.50 | $769.97 |
| Virginia | 15.28 | $2.79 | $69.83 | $92.90 | $81.29 | $767.95 |
| Florida | 15.24 | $2.78 | $69.65 | $92.66 | $81.08 | $765.94 |
| New Mexico | 15.08 | $2.75 | $68.92 | $91.69 | $80.23 | $757.90 |
| South Carolina | 14.96 | $2.73 | $68.37 | $90.96 | $79.59 | $751.87 |
| Georgia | 14.73 | $2.69 | $67.32 | $89.56 | $78.36 | $740.31 |
| Kansas | 14.56 | $2.66 | $66.54 | $88.52 | $77.46 | $731.77 |
| Mississippi | 14.03 | $2.56 | $64.12 | $85.30 | $74.64 | $705.13 |
| North Carolina | 14.02 | $2.56 | $64.07 | $85.24 | $74.59 | $704.63 |
| Iowa | 13.72 | $2.50 | $62.70 | $83.42 | $72.99 | $689.55 |
| Missouri | 13.49 | $2.46 | $61.65 | $82.02 | $71.77 | $677.99 |
| South Dakota | 13.38 | $2.44 | $61.15 | $81.35 | $71.18 | $672.46 |
| Wyoming | 13.38 | $2.44 | $61.15 | $81.35 | $71.18 | $672.46 |
| Kentucky | 13.24 | $2.42 | $60.51 | $80.50 | $70.44 | $665.43 |
| Tennessee | 13.18 | $2.41 | $60.23 | $80.13 | $70.12 | $662.41 |
| Nevada | 13.15 | $2.40 | $60.10 | $79.95 | $69.96 | $660.90 |
| Oklahoma | 13.12 | $2.39 | $59.96 | $79.77 | $69.80 | $659.40 |
| Washington | 13.11 | $2.39 | $59.91 | $79.71 | $69.75 | $658.89 |
| Utah | 13.07 | $2.39 | $59.73 | $79.47 | $69.53 | $656.88 |
| Montana | 12.98 | $2.37 | $59.32 | $78.92 | $69.05 | $652.36 |
| Arkansas | 12.84 | $2.34 | $58.68 | $78.07 | $68.31 | $645.32 |
| Louisiana | 12.57 | $2.29 | $57.44 | $76.43 | $66.87 | $631.75 |
| Nebraska | 12.34 | $2.25 | $56.39 | $75.03 | $65.65 | $620.19 |
| Idaho | 11.82 | $2.16 | $54.02 | $71.87 | $62.88 | $594.06 |
| North Dakota | 11.81 | $2.16 | $53.97 | $71.80 | $62.83 | $593.56 |
At 40.59 ¢ in Hawaii one LED lamp off saves $7.41 a year and the refrigerator costs $185; at 11.81 ¢ in North Dakota the figures are $2.16 and $54.
CSVYour lamps
Defaults are our scenario; change watts, hours and lamp count. Prices are each state's 2025 home average.
What the figures cover
Refrigerator, freezer, dryer and dehumidifier use the annual kWh printed in the ENERGY STAR listing, median of all models. The television uses its reported annual figure at 5 hours a day. Central air, heat pump heating, ceiling fans and pool pumps have no yearly figure, so we multiply running watts by scenario hours (8 h for 120 days for cooling, 8 h for 150 days for heating).
Prices are the 2025 average for home customers, EIA revenue divided by kWh sold. At the U.S. average of 17.30 cents a lamp is worth $3.16 a year.
Median refrigerator: $54 to $185 a year
- $54 to $60
- $60 to $68
- $68 to $74
- $74 to $105
- $105 to $185
Darker = costlier. Range $54 to $185.
Keep reading
Sources and dates
| Source | Data period | Retrieved | Used here for |
|---|---|---|---|
| ENERGY STAR certified products dataset | certified-product listings as of the download | 2 Oct 2026 | Annual kWh of 13 appliance types |
| EIA electricity retail sales, annual and monthly (API v2) | annual 2010 to 2025, monthly to Jul 2026 | 1 Oct 2026 | Home price 2025 in each state |
Questions
How much does one LED lamp cost to run in Hawaii?
A 10 W lamp used 5 hours a day draws 18.2 kWh a year: $7.41 at Hawaii's 40.59 cents, against $2.16 in North Dakota at 11.81 cents (our scenario).
How many lamps must I switch off to equal a refrigerator?
About 25 lamps of 10 W for 5 hours every day, since the median full-size ENERGY STAR refrigerator uses 457 kWh a year.
Does turning off lights save money at all?
Yes, a little: $3.16 a year per lamp at the U.S. average of 17.30 cents, our scenario. Ten lamps off would save $32.
Which appliance costs the most to run in your list?
Heat pump heating at 5,026 kWh a year on our scenario hours, then central air at 2,082 kWh and the heat pump water heater at 1,181 kWh.
What does the median refrigerator cost to run?
$79 a year at the U.S. average price, from $54 in North Dakota to $185 in Hawaii.
How much would a Most Efficient refrigerator save?
The median Most Efficient model uses 363 kWh, 94 kWh less than the overall median, worth $16 a year at the U.S. average price.
Where does the 10 W figure come from?
It is our scenario, not a data point. The calculator takes any wattage, hours and number of lamps.
How many models are in the ENERGY STAR numbers?
2,980 refrigerators, 477 electric dryers and 523 room air conditioners, from the data downloaded on 2 Oct 2026.