SALT LAKE CITY – One of the real pleasures of Halloween is watching residential neighborhoods be transformed with the seasonal addition of garishly lighted haunted houses and spooky yard displays.
According to a September survey of a 1,000 American homeowners, however, more than one-third of U.S. residents said that rising energy costs had forced them to cut back on Halloween decorations in 2026.
But Halloween decorators are likely to be undeterred here in Utah, where electric utility ates are ranked as being cheaper than in 40 other states.
That study was undertaken by Payless Power, a Texas-based electric provider. Its researchers analyzed federal electricity data across all 50 states and calculated the cost of running the average haunted house or yard display featuring three lighted objects and 11 common decorations using October 2025 electricity rates.
Those researchers found that Hawaii was America’s most expensive state in which to go all-out on Halloween decorations, adding an estimated $16.26 to a residents’ monthly electric bill. While that might not seem like an extravagant amount, its impact has to be considered on top of the state’s average monthly utility bill of $220, for a projected total of more than $235 for the month of October.
By comparison, a similar display here in Utah only adds $5.60 to the average $86 monthly utility bill.
The Payless Power survey found that nearly half (48 percent) of Americans polled in September 2026 believed that Halloween decorations have become too elaborate and expensive. Another 31 percent admitted that they are spending less to purchase decorations this year.
About 37 percent of survey respondents blamed rising energy costs for their decision to cut back on decorating this Halloween.
The Texas utility provider also offered several helpful suggestions about the relative cost of display items to guide Halloween decorators looking to save a few bucks next year.
A full haunted-house display costs around $6.60 during the month of October at the typical U.S. electricity rates, compared with just 63 cents for a basic porch display and $3.25 for a larger yard setup.
Those estimates assume that the decorations run five hours nightly, except for fog machines, which run for one hour.
Traditional incandescent Halloween string lights cost nearly eight times as much to power as newer LED alternatives, however.
Running three strands of incandescent mini-lights for five hours nightly costs approximately $3 during the month of October at the typical U.S. electricity rate, compared with just 38 cents for equivalent LED strands.
Fog machines are among the most expensive Halloween decorations to operate, costing approximately $2.35 during October when used one hour nightly at the typical rate. By comparison, the illuminated eyes of a 12-foot skeleton cost just 25 cents to run for five hours nightly.
In addition to Hawaii, the states in the Payless Power top ten ranking of the most expensive places to decorate a home for Halloween include California, Texas, Florida, Alabama, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Maryland, Connecticut and Louisiana.
In addition to Utah, the top ten least expensive states in which to decorate for the spooky holiday include New Mexico, Idaho, Nevada, Colorado, Iowa, Montana, Nebraska, Wyoming and Wisconsin.
The full Halloween decorating study by Payless Power can be found by going online to https://paylesspower.com/blog/the-cost-of-halloween/