How Much Energy Does a LED Neon Sign Use? A Real Look at Our “BUT FIRST, Coffee” Sign
If you’ve ever wondered how much electricity a LED neon sign actually uses, especially when left on throughout the day or night, we’ve got you covered. At UV Neon, we don’t just sell high-quality custom neon signs, we also believe in transparency and helping our customers make informed decisions.
In this post, we’re analysing the actual energy usage of one of our popular products: the 50cm LED neon sign "BUT FIRST, Coffee". To track its electricity consumption, we used a Tapo Mini Wi-Fi Smart Plug with Energy Monitoring, and we tested it at both full brightness and fully dimmed.
Energy Usage: Full Brightness vs Dimmed
We recorded usage over two full days using the Tapo app. Here's what we found:
| Brightness level | Energy used (per hour) | Cost per hour (UK) | Cost per hour (US) |
| Full Brightness | 0.023 kWh | £0.0059 | $0.0075 |
| Fully Dimmed | 0.002 kWh | £0.0005 | $0.00026 |
Based on 25.73p per kWh (UK) and $0.13 per kWh (US average)
What Does This Mean for Daily and Monthly Costs?
Here’s a quick breakdown based on average use:
Running the sign 6 hours per day:
- Full brightness: ~£0.0354 per day / £1.06 per month
- Fully dimmed: ~£0.003 per day / £0.09 per month
Running 24 hours per day:
- Full brightness: ~£0.137 / £4.11 per month
- Fully dimmed: ~£0.012 / £0.37 per month
LED Neon Sign vs Traditional Neon
One of the biggest advantages of LED neon signs is energy efficiency. Traditional glass neon signs can use anywhere from 0.8 to 1.2 kWh per hour. In comparison, our LED signs, even at full brightness, use only 0.023 kWh per hour. That’s more than 95% energy savings.
Key Benefits of LED Neon Signs:
- Energy efficient and cost effective
- Cool to the touch even after hours of use
- Dimmable options available on request
- Long lifespan with minimal running costs
Final Thoughts
LED neon signs from UV Neon are not only visually stunning, but also very affordable to run. Whether you're using your sign for a few hours a day or keeping it on 24/7 for that perfect vibe, the electricity cost remains incredibly low.