Permanent outdoor lighting is becoming increasingly popular across Toronto and the GTA. It can make a home look great every night, improve visibility around the property and replace the yearly hassle of hanging Christmas lights.
Still, almost every homeowner asks the same question before installing it.
Do outdoor LED lights use a lot of electricity?
The answer is no. A standard Toronto Glow installation with 300 LED lights can run for eight hours every night for approximately $9.40 per month in Toronto. That estimate uses the maximum rated wattage of every light and includes the variable electricity, transmission, regulatory and delivery charges that increase when more power is used.
Permanent outdoor LED lights also have a major advantage in Ontario. They are usually turned on at night, which is when electricity costs the least for homeowners using Time of Use pricing.
This guide explains how much electricity permanent outdoor LED lights use, what they cost to run in Ontario, what can change the final cost and how homeowners can keep their monthly usage low.
How Much Electricity Do Permanent Outdoor LED Lights Use?
The amount of electricity used by an outdoor LED lighting system depends on three main numbers.
The number of lights installed, the wattage of each LED and the number of hours the system operates.
Toronto Glow uses a low voltage 24V lighting system. Each individual LED is rated at up to 0.9 watts.
Voltage and wattage are not the same thing. The 24V rating describes how power is delivered through the system. The wattage tells us how much electricity the lights actually consume.
How Much Power Does a 300 Light System Use?
A Toronto Glow system with 300 LED lights has a maximum calculated power draw of:
300 lights × 0.9 watts = 270 watts
That means the entire roofline system uses up to 270 watts while operating. To calculate electricity usage, we convert those watts into kilowatt hours.
The formula is:
Number of lights × watts per light × hours used ÷ 1,000
For a system operating eight hours per night:
300 × 0.9 × 8 ÷ 1,000 = 2.16 kWh per night
Over a 30 day month:
2.16 kWh × 30 days = 64.8 kWh per month
This calculation assumes every LED is drawing its full rated 0.9 watts for the entire eight hours. Actual permanent lights electricity usage may be lower when the system is dimmed or when an effect only illuminates some of the lights at one time.
How Much Does It Cost to Run 300 Outdoor LED Lights in Ontario?
As of July 2026, Ontario’s standard Time of Use off peak electricity price is 9.8 cents per kWh.
Off peak pricing applies from 7 p.m. until 7 a.m. on weekdays. It also applies all day on weekends and statutory holidays. This means a normal evening outdoor lighting schedule falls almost entirely inside Ontario’s lowest priced electricity period.
The Electricity Charge Is About $6.35 Per Month
A 300 light installation operating for eight hours per night uses 64.8 kWh over a 30 day month.
At 9.8 cents per kWh:
64.8 kWh × $0.098 = $6.35
That is the electricity commodity charge. It is the amount charged for the actual electricity used by the lights.
However, Ontario hydro bills also include variable transmission, delivery and regulatory charges. These charges increase slightly when a household consumes more electricity.
The Complete Toronto Estimate Is About $9.40
Using Toronto Hydro’s July 2026 residential rates, the additional monthly costs for a 300 light system would be approximately:
- Electricity used: $6.35
- Variable transmission charge: $1.45
- Variable delivery and regulatory charges: $0.45
- HST: Approximately $1.07
- Total before the Ontario Electricity Rebate: Approximately $9.32
Rounded slightly to account for billing periods and minor usage differences, that gives us a practical estimate of approximately $9.40 per month. Toronto Hydro applies a 13 percent HST to electricity bills and currently lists a 23.5 percent Ontario Electricity Rebate for eligible customers. This means the final cost for many residential customers could be lower than our conservative $9.40 estimate.
We do not include Toronto Hydro’s fixed customer charge in this calculation. Homeowners already pay that charge whether or not they install permanent outdoor lights.
Outdoor LED Lighting Cost by Hours Used
A homeowner does not need to run the lights for eight hours every night. The app can create different schedules depending on the season, event or type of lighting being used.
For the same 300 light system:
Four hours per night
32.4 kWh per month
Approximately $4.65 before the Ontario Electricity Rebate
Six hours per night
48.6 kWh per month
Approximately $7.00 before the Ontario Electricity Rebate
Eight hours per night
64.8 kWh per month
Approximately $9.32 before the Ontario Electricity Rebate
Ten hours per night
81 kWh per month
Approximately $11.65 before the Ontario Electricity Rebate
The eight hour example is useful because it shows that a typical GTA homeowner can run permanent outdoor LED lights for most of the night while keeping the estimated electricity cost around $10 per month.
Why Outdoor LED Lights Work Well With Ontario Electricity Rates
Ontario electricity is not always cheap. During the summer, the July 2026 on peak Time of Use price is 20.3 cents per kWh, which is more than double the 9.8 cent off peak price.
Fortunately, permanent outdoor lighting is normally used after the expensive period has ended. Standard off peak pricing begins at 7 p.m. and continues until 7 a.m. the following morning.
That makes outdoor LED lighting a good match for Ontario’s electricity schedule.
A homeowner could set the lights to come on at 7 p.m. and turn off at midnight. During the darker winter months, the schedule could be extended until 1 a.m. or later without moving outside the off peak period.
Weekends and statutory holidays receive off peak pricing throughout the entire day. This can be useful during Christmas, Halloween, Diwali, Canada Day or any other occasion when the lights may be turned on earlier than normal.
Ontario customers can also choose Ultra Low Overnight pricing. Under that plan, electricity costs 3.9 cents per kWh from 11 p.m. until 7 a.m. However, the plan has a much higher weekday rate between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m., so it is not automatically the best option for every household.
What Affects the Electricity Cost of Permanent Outdoor Lights?
The approximately $9.40 monthly estimate is based on a specific example. Your actual permanent outdoor LED lights electricity cost will depend on how many lights are installed and how you use them.
Number of LED Lights
The number of lights has the largest effect on total power usage.
A smaller front roofline with 150 lights would use about half as much electricity as our 300 light example when both systems use the same brightness and schedule.
A larger home with 500 or 600 lights would cost more. This does not mean every larger property will have a huge hydro bill. It simply means the cost should be calculated using the actual number of lights instead of applying one estimate to every home.
Brightness and Lighting Effects
The $9.40 calculation assumes every LED draws its maximum rated wattage throughout the entire operating period.
In everyday use, many GTA homeowners choose a softer warm white setting rather than running the system at full brightness. Some animated effects also illuminate only part of the roofline at one time.
The exact savings will depend on the colour, effect and brightness settings being used. The safest approach is to treat the full wattage calculation as a conservative estimate rather than promising an exact bill for every setting.
Hours, Zones and Schedules
Operating time is easy to control through the Toronto Glow app.
Running the lights for four hours uses approximately half as much electricity as running them for eight hours. Homeowners can also divide the installation into zones and activate only the parts of the property they want illuminated.
For example, you could run the front roofline every night while leaving the sides or backyard zones turned off. An automatic shutoff time also prevents the system from being left on accidentally until morning.
What Would a Larger 500 Light Installation Cost?
Larger homes with more roofline naturally need more lights. A bigger installation helps show how the cost changes as the number of LEDs increases.
A 500 light system would have a maximum calculated draw of:
500 × 0.9 watts = 450 watts
Running that system for eight hours per night would use:
0.45 kW × 8 hours × 30 days = 108 kWh per month
At Ontario’s 9.8 cent off peak rate, the electricity charge alone would be approximately $10.58 per month.
After Toronto Hydro’s variable transmission, delivery and regulatory charges plus HST, the estimated total would be approximately $15.65 per month before the Ontario Electricity Rebate.
That is a little more than $9.40, but it also covers roughly two thirds more lighting than the standard 300 light example — about the price of a single movie ticket to light a mansion every night. The claim that permanent lights cost less than $10 per month applies to a typical front of home installation.
Can You Leave Permanent Outdoor LED Lights on Every Night?
Yes. Permanent outdoor LEDs use little enough electricity that nightly operation is practical for many GTA homeowners.
A 300 light system running for eight hours per night adds approximately $9.40 per month before the Ontario Electricity Rebate. A shorter four or six hour schedule can reduce the cost even further.
Permanent LEDs are also more efficient than traditional incandescent Christmas lights. Incandescent bulbs waste much more of their electrical energy as heat, while LED technology uses a larger share of that energy to produce light.
The easiest way to control your LED lights hydro bill in Toronto is to use a set schedule, lower the brightness for everyday lighting and activate only the zones you need.
Are Permanent Outdoor LED Lights Worth the Electricity Cost?
For most homeowners, the electricity cost is one of the smallest expenses associated with permanent outdoor lighting. For a deeper dive into why permanent lighting is worth the cost, read our blog on whether permanent Christmas lights are worth the cost.
For approximately $10 per month, a typical GTA home can use its lights for warm white architectural lighting, Christmas displays, Halloween colours, Diwali, birthdays, sporting events and everyday curb appeal.
You also get to control the schedule, brightness, colours and zones directly from the app. You are not forced to run every light at full brightness every night.
So, do outdoor LED lights use a lot of electricity?
No. Based on Toronto Glow’s 24V system, 0.9 watt LEDs and Ontario’s July 2026 off peak electricity rates, a 300 light installation costs approximately $9.40 per month to run for eight hours every night.
Toronto Glow installs custom permanent outdoor LED lighting throughout Toronto and the GTA. Request an instant estimate to see how many lights your home may need and what your approximate monthly electricity usage could be.
FAQ: Permanent Outdoor Lighting Electricity Usage
What are permanent outdoor lights?
Permanent outdoor lights — also called permanent Christmas lights — are low voltage LED lighting systems installed along your roofline in colour-matched aluminum tracks. They stay up year-round, are nearly invisible during the day and are controlled from an app.
Related: What Are Permanent Christmas Lights?
How much do permanent outdoor LED lights cost to install?
Permanent outdoor LED lights cost between $3,000 and $6,000 to install for most GTA homes. For a deeper dive on the six factors that drive the price, read our guide on how much permanent Christmas lights cost in Canada.
How much electricity do permanent LED lights use?
Not much at all — a standard 300 LED home running eight hours every night costs less than $10 per month in Ontario. Even bigger installations stay affordable:
A 500 LED home costs approximately $15.65 per month — about the price of a single movie ticket at Cineplex.
A large 800 LED home costs approximately $25 per month — about one day of parking in downtown Toronto.
Each LED is rated at just 0.9 watts, the lights run mainly at night when Ontario's off-peak rates apply, and brightness, zones and schedules can all be adjusted from the app to lower usage even further.
Are permanent outdoor LED lights worth the investment?
Yes! They increase home value, and since they last 25+ years, they are a smart long-term investment. There are no ladders, no seasonal takedown and no annual installation fees — and one system covers Christmas, Halloween, Diwali and everyday curb appeal.