If you live in the United States in 2025 and you still have an old incandescent or halogen bulb in your floor lamp, I’ll be honest: you’re burning money for no good reason.

Let’s look at what a floor lamp actually costs to run in a typical U.S. home, using real numbers and real scenarios. My goal here is simple: after this, you should know exactly what your lamp is costing you and what you should change.

Quick answer: how much electricity does a floor lamp use?

Most modern floor lamps in the U.S. with LED bulbs use about 8–15 watts. Older lamps with incandescent or halogen bulbs commonly use 40–100 watts or more for similar brightness.

As of late 2025, the average residential electricity price in the U.S. is about 18¢ per kWh, based on recent U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) data.

At that price, used 4 hours a day, the numbers look like this:

Monthly cost comparison (4 hours per day, $0.18/kWh)

Lamp type	Monthly energy use	Approx. monthly cost
60W incandescent floor lamp	7.2 kWh	about $1.30
10W LED floor lamp (similar light)	1.2 kWh	about $0.22

So yes, a single floor lamp is not the biggest line item on your bill. But running it with an old bulb instead of an LED can easily make it five to six times more expensive than it has to be.

In my view, keeping incandescent or halogen bulbs in a floor lamp in 2025 is just throwing away money you could save with one quick swap.

The basics: watts, kWh, and what you actually pay for

Watt (W): how “hungry” your lamp is

A watt (W) is a measure of power — how fast an appliance uses energy.

• A 60W bulb uses energy twice as fast as a 30W bulb.
• A 10W LED is extremely frugal compared with a 60W incandescent, even if they look equally bright.

When you look at the wattage on the bulb, you’re basically looking at how fast it will spin your electric meter.

Kilowatt-hour (kWh): the unit on your bill

Your utility charges you in kilowatt-hours (kWh):

• 1 kWh = running 1000W for one hour
• A 100W bulb on for 10 hours also uses 1 kWh.

So when you see a rate like 18¢/kWh, that’s what you pay for every “unit” of electricity.

The only formula you really need

For any floor lamp, any bulb, the math is:

Energy used (kWh) = Power (W) × Hours used ÷ 1000

Cost ($) = Energy used (kWh) × Your rate ($/kWh)

If you know:

1. The wattage of your bulb,
2. How many hours per day you use it,
3. Your local rate (check your utility bill or your state’s average),

you can calculate the cost of that cosy reading lamp very quickly.

Typical wattages: different bulbs and different floor lamps

By bulb type: why LED is the obvious choice

For a typical floor lamp that gives “normal” room light, you’ll see roughly:

• Incandescent (old-style)
  About 60–100W for comfortable room lighting (around 800–1600 lumens).
• Halogen
  Slightly better: usually 35–70W for similar brightness.
• Compact fluorescent (CFL)
  About 13–23W to replace a 60–100W incandescent.
• LED
  Typically 8–12W to replace a 60W incandescent (around 800 lumens).

According to the U.S. Department of Energy and ENERGY STAR, LED lighting can use about 75–90% less energy than standard incandescent bulbs while providing the same brightness and lasting much longer.

From my perspective, that makes incandescent and most halogens in floor lamps essentially obsolete for everyday home use.

By usage scenario: how Americans actually use floor lamps

In a typical U.S. home, floor lamps usually fall into a few roles:

• Living room reading lamp
  Historically: 60–75W incandescent.
  Sensible modern choice: 8–10W LED with about 800 lumens.
• Bedroom ambience lamp
  Historically: 40W incandescent.
  Modern: 5–7W LED at 400–500 lumens.
• Home office / task floor lamp
  Historically: 75–100W incandescent.
  Modern: 10–15W LED at 1000–1500 lumens.

In every one of these situations, the LED version gives you the same usable light for a fraction of the power.

A quick comparison table

Floor lamp role	Typical bulb type	Typical wattage	Typical brightness (approx)
Living room reader	60W incandescent	60W	~800 lumens
Living room reader (LED)	LED “60W equivalent”	8–10W	~800 lumens
Bedroom ambience	40W incandescent	40W	~450 lumens
Bedroom ambience (LED)	LED “40W equivalent”	5–7W	~450 lumens
Bright task floor lamp	100W incandescent	100W	~1500 lumens
Bright task lamp (LED)	LED “100W equivalent”	13–15W	~1400–1600 lumens

The exact numbers vary by brand, but the pattern is very consistent: for the same lumens, an LED uses a fraction of the watts.

Real-world examples: what does my floor lamp actually cost per month?

For the examples below, I’ll assume:

• 4 hours of use per day
• 30 days per month
• 18¢ per kWh as a typical U.S. average in 2025 based on recent EIA data.

Plug in your own rate if your state is significantly higher or lower.

Example 1: 60W incandescent, 4 hours per day

• Power: 60W
• Daily use: 4 hours

Energy:

• Per day: 60 × 4 ÷ 1000 = 0.24 kWh
• Per month: 0.24 × 30 = 7.2 kWh

Cost:

• 7.2 kWh × $0.18 ≈ $1.30 per month

So that one old 60W floor lamp in the corner, used every evening, is quietly costing you just over a dollar a month.

Example 2: 10W LED, similar brightness, 4 hours per day

• Power: 10W
• Daily use: 4 hours

Energy:

• Per day: 10 × 4 ÷ 1000 = 0.04 kWh
• Per month: 0.04 × 30 = 1.2 kWh

Cost:

• 1.2 kWh × $0.18 ≈ $0.22 per month

Same kind of light, but the running cost is almost trivial.

Example 3: three-headed floor lamp, each head 10W LED

Now consider a three-headed floor lamp with three 10W LED bulbs:

• Total power with all heads on: 30W
• Daily use: 4 hours

Energy:

• Per day: 30 × 4 ÷ 1000 = 0.12 kWh
• Per month: 0.12 × 30 = 3.6 kWh

Cost:

• 3.6 kWh × $0.18 ≈ $0.65 per month

That is a fully lit, multi-head LED floor lamp for well under a dollar a month at this usage level.

Summary of the examples

Side by side:

Lamp setup	Power	Hours/day	Monthly energy	Monthly cost (18¢/kWh)
60W incandescent floor lamp	60W	4	7.2 kWh	≈ $1.30
10W LED floor lamp (same light)	10W	4	1.2 kWh	≈ $0.22
Three-head LED floor lamp (3×10W)	30W	4	3.6 kWh	≈ $0.65

The incandescent version is roughly six times more expensive to operate than the LED equivalent. That lines up with federal guidance: the U.S. Department of Energy notes that lighting accounts for around 15% of a home’s electricity use, and switching to LED lighting can save the average household roughly $225 per year.

From my point of view, any lamp still running an incandescent bulb in 2025 is low-hanging fruit for easy savings.

Nuances that matter: not just “how many watts?”

Brightness vs watts: your eyes care about lumens

For decades, Americans got used to “60W bulb” as code for “normal brightness”. With LEDs, that mental shortcut breaks.

Key point:

• Brightness is measured in lumens (lm), not watts.
• A 60W incandescent is roughly 800 lumens.
• A 9–10W LED can also be around 800 lumens.

If you still pick bulbs by watts alone, you either:

• Over-light with LEDs (too bright for the space), or
• Under-light if you choose too low a wattage just to “save energy”.

In my opinion, the modern way to buy bulbs is:

1. Decide the lumens (how bright you want it),
2. Then compare wattages to see who gives you that light for the least energy.

Multiple heads and dimmers: use them strategically

A lot of floor lamps in U.S. homes have:

• Multiple heads (three adjustable arms, for example), or
• Dimmer switches or stepped brightness.

Two practical tips:

1. Multiple heads add up. Three 10W LED heads is 30W. If you only need one for reading, running all three is just waste.
2. Dimming normally cuts power, though not always perfectly proportionally. Good modern LED drivers drop power use significantly at lower brightness, even if the relationship isn’t a perfect straight line.

My view: treat dimmers and separate heads as tools to shape both your lighting and your electricity use, not just decoration.

Smart bulbs and smart floor lamps: the standby effect

Smart bulbs and smart floor lamps (Wi-Fi, Zigbee, etc.) draw a tiny amount of standby power to stay connected, even when “off”. Many modern devices aim for around 1 watt or less in standby, in line with international efficiency pushes.

At 1W standby:

• 1W × 24 hours × 30 days ÷ 1000 = 0.72 kWh/month
• At 18¢/kWh, that’s about $0.13/month.

Personally, I don’t worry about one or two smart lamps at that level. But if you’ve filled your house with smart gadgets, it becomes worth managing. A smart plug that truly cuts power can eliminate that standby cost when you don’t need it.

Compared with other appliances and lights

A floor lamp is not the villain on your electric bill:

• 10W LED floor lamp
  0.01 kW × 1 hour = 0.01 kWh → around 0.18 cents per hour at 18¢/kWh.
• 60W incandescent
  0.06 kW × 1 hour = 0.06 kWh → about 1.1 cents per hour.
• 1500W space heater
  1.5 kW × 1 hour = 1.5 kWh → about 27 cents per hour.

Heating and cooling dwarf a floor lamp. But because lighting still takes roughly a tenth to a sixth of household electricity, and LEDs chop that dramatically, I see lighting upgrades as one of the easiest, most sensible moves.

How to actually lower the cost of your floor lamp

1. Switch to LEDs – this is not optional in my book

The U.S. Department of Energy is very clear: switching to energy-efficient lighting is one of the fastest ways to cut your energy bills.

ENERGY STAR and other credible sources show that LEDs:

• Use about 75–90% less energy than incandescent bulbs,
• Last many times longer,
• Produce much less wasted heat.

My opinion is straightforward: in an American home in 2025, there is almost no rational reason to keep incandescent or halogen bulbs in floor lamps, unless you’re intentionally doing it for a very specific aesthetic and you fully accept the cost.

When you buy LEDs:

• Check lumens (e.g., ~800 lm for a “60W equivalent”).
• Choose color temperature:
  • ~2700K: warm, cozy living room light.
  • ~3000–4000K: crisper, good for reading or home office.
• Look for ENERGY STAR labels where possible.

2. Aim for “just enough” brightness

Over-lighting rooms is a quiet way to waste energy.

For most situations:

• Reading corner: 8–10W LED floor lamp around 800 lumens is usually fine.
• Bedroom ambience: 5–7W LED with a shade that softens the light is plenty.

If you have a habit of turning on the ceiling light plus two or three floor lamps, it’s worth asking yourself what you actually need for comfort and visibility.

3. Use placement so one lamp does more work

Instead of several weak lamps scattered around, I prefer:

• One well-placed floor lamp with a decent LED bulb,
• Positioned so light reflects off walls or the ceiling.

Especially in smaller apartments or typical U.S. living rooms, one well-positioned lamp can make the whole space feel bright, which lets you keep total wattage very low.

4. Use timers and smart plugs to avoid accidental all-nighters

Everyone has gone to bed with a lamp still on in the living room.

At 10W LED, it won’t destroy your budget, but it’s still waste. At 60W incandescent, you’re wasting several times more than you need to.

Simple fixes:

• Plug-in timer: lamp shuts itself off at midnight.
• Smart plug: schedule the lamp or switch it off from your phone.

Given how much lighting can save over a year when you move to LEDs, I see these low-cost controls as very reasonable upgrades if forgetfulness is your issue.

FAQs

Is it expensive to leave a floor lamp on all night?

Let’s call “all night” 8 hours.

For a 10W LED floor lamp:

• Per night: 10 × 8 ÷ 1000 = 0.08 kWh
• Per month: 0.08 × 30 = 2.4 kWh
• Cost at 18¢/kWh: 2.4 × 0.18 ≈ $0.43 per month

For a 60W incandescent floor lamp:

• Per night: 60 × 8 ÷ 1000 = 0.48 kWh
• Per month: 14.4 kWh
• Cost: 14.4 × 0.18 ≈ $2.59 per month

So even if a 10W LED runs all night, the cost is modest. With a 60W incandescent, it starts to become noticeably wasteful for something that is so easy to fix.

My take: switch to LED first, then use a simple timer if you regularly fall asleep with lights on.

Does a floor lamp use more electricity than a table lamp?

No. The shape of the lamp doesn’t matter.

Electricity use is determined by:

• Bulb wattage, and
• How long it’s on.

A 10W LED in a table lamp and a 10W LED in a floor lamp both use exactly 10W while operating. The “floor vs table” distinction is purely physical design, not energy.

If I switch my floor lamp to LED, how much will I really save?

Using the earlier 4-hours-a-day example:

• 60W incandescent: about $1.30 per month
• 10W LED: about $0.22 per month

Savings: about $1.10 per month, or roughly $13 per year for that single lamp.

That might not sound huge in isolation, but remember:

• Most homes have many light fixtures.
• The Department of Energy estimates that switching to LED lighting across your home can save around $225 per year on average.

In other words, across your whole home, lighting is absolutely worth fixing — and floor lamps are an easy place to start.

Does the lamp still use electricity when it’s switched off but plugged in?

It depends on what’s inside the lamp:

• Basic lamp with a standard bulb
  When the switch is off and the circuit is fully open, there is effectively no significant power draw.
• Smart bulb or smart floor lamp
  Needs a tiny trickle of power to stay connected to your network — often around 1W or less.

At roughly 1W, even 24/7, you’re talking about $0.13/month per device at 18¢/kWh. If you’re chasing every last bit of waste, a smart plug that physically cuts power will eliminate that too.

My floor lamp says “Max 60W”. What does that actually mean?

That label is about safety.

• “Max 60W” means the socket, wiring, and shade are designed to safely handle a bulb that uses up to 60 watts of power.
• Putting a 100W incandescent bulb in a “Max 60W” lamp can overheat the fixture and create a fire risk.

With LEDs, that rating becomes your friend:

• A “10W LED, 60W equivalent” is perfectly safe in a “Max 60W” lamp.
• The actual power is 10W, and the “60W equivalent” is just telling you it’s as bright as a 60W incandescent.

So you can stay well under the wattage limit while getting all the light you need.

Summary and where to go next

Core conclusions

If you remember nothing else, remember this:

1. A typical LED floor lamp uses around 8–15W. An old-style incandescent or halogen floor lamp can use 40–100W for similar light.
2. At around 18¢ per kWh, a floor lamp used 4 hours a day costs:
   • Roughly $1–$2 per month with an incandescent,
   • Only a few dimes per month with an LED.
3. Lighting still takes about 10–15% of household electricity, and switching to LEDs can save the average U.S. household around $225 a year.
4. In my opinion, every floor lamp in an American home should now be running an LED bulb — it’s one of the simplest, smartest upgrades you can make.

If you want to go even deeper, your next steps could be:

• Check your actual electric rate on your utility bill and redo the example math.
• Walk through your home and list every floor and table lamp that still has an incandescent or halogen bulb.
• Prioritize those for LED replacement, starting with the ones you use the most.