Meanings
plural light bills
- USdatedAn electricity bill.
1 more example
People who have been connected to utility electric lines have used them almost entirely for lights, because of the expense. […] But now with plenty of power, calling their monthly statement a light bill is, I believe, wrong psychology. Too many come in and remark about the amount of their light bill even though they may use 50 to 100 kilowatt-hours.
1940, C. A. Winder (Director, Division of Engineering and Operations), quoted in: United States. Rural Electrification Administration, Rural Electrification News: A Summary of Rural Electrification Activities (page 26)
Origin
So called because electricity was once used mainly for lighting; see 1940 citation below.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
light bill. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/light%20bill
“light bill.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/light%20bill. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “light bill,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/light%20bill.
Source: light bill on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.