How many watts does an LED bulb use?
By Tom Calder · Figures checked 4 November 2026 · Costs at 26.32p per kWh (Ofgem cap, 1 October to 31 December 2026)
An LED bulb draws about 5W to 12W; Philips’ 806-lumen bulb, sold as a 60W equivalent, uses 8.5W. An hour costs about 0.1p to 0.3p per bulb at 26.32p per kWh.
The numbers
- Running watts
- 5W to 12W
- Amps at 230V (most)
- 0.05A
- Energy an hour, per bulb
- 0.005 to 0.012 kWh
- Per bulb for an hour.
- Cost an hour, per bulb
- 0.1p to 0.3p
- On a 1kWh power station
- 35 hours to 2 days
- On a 2kWh power station
- 3 to 4.5 days
Costs use 26.32p per kWh, the Ofgem price cap's average Direct Debit electricity unit rate for 1 October to 31 December 2026. Your own rate is on your bill; on a fixed or time-of-use tariff it will differ.
How it’s used, and what that costs
The “equivalent” figure on the box compares the light with an old incandescent bulb; the real draw is the smaller number. Lower and higher equivalents draw less and more than the 8.5W of a 60W equivalent.
The Energy Saving Trust puts replacing remaining halogen spotlights with LEDs at about £45 a year (see how to lower your electricity bill). Smart bulbs light the same but don’t save more energy on their own.
In a power cut: how long a power station would run it
A 1kWh power station: 35 hours to 2 days. A 2kWh power station: 3 to 4.5 days. These use the same planning method as our power station pages: capacity × 90% usable depth × 85% inverter efficiency, divided by the load plus about 10W the unit uses itself (BLUETTI’s UK formula).
Output matters as much as capacity. The 7 units around 1kWh we list supply 1,500W to 2,000W continuously, and the 6 around 2kWh supply 2,200W to 3,000W, so check a unit’s rated output covers 12W before you rely on it.
Lights are an easy load for a power station, but rechargeable power cut lights and lanterns do the job without one.
To size one for everything you’d want to keep running, use the sizer on our power stations comparison.
Compare: Broadband router · Phone charging · TV (LED/LCD)
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Start free →Sources (6)
- Philips “Smart LED Bulb 8.5W (Eq.60W) A60 E27”, 806 lm
- Ofgem: Energy price cap unit rates and standing charges, 1 October to 31 December 2026electricity 26.32p per kWh, Direct Debit; no VAT on electricity from 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027
- BLUETTI UK — Elite 200 V2 (runtime formula: DoD 90%, η 85%, self-consumption about 10W)
- BLUETTI UK — Elite 100 V2 (self-consumption about 10W)
- Jackery UK — runtime formula (capacity × 0.85 ÷ watts)
- EcoFlow — test runtime before an emergency0.80–0.90 for AC; DC ports for routers and phones
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