Aquarium Heater vs Incandescent Bulb: Which Costs Less to Run?
Using typical wattage and daily use, an incandescent bulb costs about $1.58 per month, compared with $4.20 for an aquarium heater. That is a gap of $2.63 a month at $0.175/kWh.
Side by side
| Aquarium Heater | Incandescent Bulb | |
|---|---|---|
| Power | 200 W | 60 W |
| Hours per day | 8 | 5 |
| Cost per hour | $0.018 | $0.011 |
| Cost per day | $0.14 | $0.053 |
| Cost per week | $0.98 | $0.368 |
| Cost per month | $4.20 | $1.58 |
| Cost per year | $51.10 | $19.16 |
| Energy per year | 292 kWh | 110 kWh |
Based on $0.175 per kWh (US average).
Which should you choose?
These two appliances do different jobs, so the cheaper one is not automatically the better choice. The figures use typical wattage, typical daily hours and the share of time each runs at full power.
Want your own numbers? Open either calculator and enter your hours and rate: Aquarium Heater or Incandescent Bulb.