Savvy Wilmington homeowners don’t just consider the initial cost of a home renovation project, but the cost of ownership and maintenance. When it comes to installing a pool that is chemicals and cleaning. When it comes to adding a deck, you consider the future cost of stain/sealant. When it comes to adding landscape and outdoor lighting, you think about the cost of replacing bulbs and the additional electricity on your utility bill.
What Does it Cost to Run Landscape Lighting?
The most truthful answer: it varies, dramatically.
The number of lights you have, the type of lights you have, and the cost of electricity from your exact utility provider are all at play. The cost of electricity does fluctuate, so while we can give you an estimate, keep in mind, these rates will change.
Running Landscape Lighting is More Affordable Than Ever!
Very few lighting professionals install Halogen outdoor lighting. LED is beautiful, durable, cost-effective, and uses a fraction of the energy of Halogen. So, for the purposes of our example, we are using LED outdoor lighting as the model.
Assumptions:
- Current cost of electricity in Wilmington from Duke Energy is 10.6-11 cents/kWh – for the sake of simple math we will use $.11/kWh as the going rate. (kWh stands for kilowatt-hour a measure of electrical energy equivalent to a power consumption of 1,000 watts for 1 hour.)
- Using an average-sized outdoor lighting system with 15 6-Watt LED landscape lights.
- The lights will run 6 hours each night, every night of the year!
It’s Math Time!
6 Watts x 15 lights = 90 Watts per hour.
6 hours per night = 540 Watts used each night.
540 Watts per night x 365 days per year = 197,100 Watts
197,100 Watts/1,000 = 197 kWh
197kWh x $.11/kWh = $21.67 per year!
YES! You read that right! The average 15 light LED outdoor lighting system should only cost less than $22/year in electricity to run. Break that down into your monthly electric bill and you won’t even notice the difference.
Would you spend $22 per year to beautify your home, secure your home, and add safety to your home? Most homeowners I know spend more than that on their pumpkins in fall and annual flowers in spring! If you’re ready to add gorgeous lighting to your property, give Outdoor Lighting Perspectives of Wilmington a call today! (910) 356-8203 We offer free nighttime demonstrations so you can try before you buy!
