Los Angeles neon electricity estimator
What does it cost to keep your sign glowing?
Compare a traditional glass neon sign with a modern LED neon sign, sized to a detailed medium-complexity design (the kind we build most often), using a typical Los Angeles electricity price.
Glass neon
Hand bentEstimated monthly electricity cost
$25.06
Based on our standard 12,000V 30mA transformer at its full-load rating (360W). Actual draw is usually lower, see the notes below.
LED neon
Flex tubeEstimated monthly electricity cost
$5.22
Assumed load for a detailed medium sign built with about 20 ft of LED neon flex.
At this usage, the LED version of this sign costs an estimated $19.84 less per month to run than the glass neon full-load estimate.
How these estimates work
Our own shop average for a medium sign with real design detail (script, multiple lines, layered elements): roughly 20 linear feet of tube or LED neon flex.
We use a 12,000V, 30mA transformer on almost every job, a self-regulating jack-of-all-trades unit. 12,000V x 0.030A = 360W is its full-load rating. Because it self-regulates, it draws less than 360W whenever the connected tube load doesn't call for full power, which is common. Treat the glass neon number as a ceiling, not a guarantee.
20 ft x 3.75W/ft is about 75W of assumed LED load, based on typical LED neon flex specs. LED neon runs on a 12V or 24V DC power supply rather than a high-voltage transformer, and draw stays close to constant regardless of design detail.
Both estimates use $0.29/kWh, a typical Los Angeles-area rate. LADWP-served addresses often run closer to 22-28 cents per kWh; SCE-served addresses can run 34 cents or higher. Your bill will also include fixed charges, delivery fees and taxes not reflected here.
These are estimates for planning purposes, not a guarantee of your electric bill. Real-world cost depends on your specific design, tube length, transformer load, LED product, local utility, rate plan and hours of use. For a number based on your actual sign, ask us for the spec sheet with your quote.