how much does a street light cost per hour to run?

Question

does it make any difference depending on what size of bulb is in it? Sorry to be so dense.....

I actually DO have a good reason for asking, and it's not the reason you think it is!

Sorry to tell you Mally, I'm not that honourable! Actually, my husband is using one for his breeding canaries, and I say it's costing a fortune, while he says not!!!!

Answer 1

It depends upon 2 things ...

The KWH rating on the bulb.
The cost of electricity in that area.

Answer 2

Assume that a typical street light requires about 150 watts of power and burns an average of 12 hrs per day. That comes to 1800 watt-hours, or 1.8 kW-hrs.

Further assume that electricity costs about $0.11 per kW-hr. With these assumptions, the daily cost of electricity is about $0.20, and the average hourly cost would be a little less than a penny.

This doesn't include the cost of the bulb (if it's a mercury vapor lamp, there might also be the cost of disposal as hazardous waste), nor does it include the cost for labor and equipment to occasionally replace the bulb. In addition, municipalities running street lights may get a discount on the cost of electricity because they use a lot of it.

Hope this helps.

Answer 3

While a 150-watt sodium vapor light throws a lot of light, and many boxy light packs on the sides of buildings are that wattage, I believe street lights are closer to 300 watts in power consumption. That would double the power costs 'Observer in MD' gave. (Assuming OiM's cost-per-kilowatt-hour information also applies where you are.)

Answer 4

Me thinks what craig is getting at is if the government was to shut down all motorway lights to protect the environment. we could shut lot`s of power stations down and save billions in cash. well we do have headlights on our cars. just leave lights on at junction's and slip roads. and what`s more we will see all the stars at night.

Answer 5

wow youre a bundle of fun