Here a 100W HPS, which is the most common rental light, costs about 12 dollars per month. Of course, it includes installation and maintenance (except it does not include ‘globe washing’, whatever that means).

$12 a month is still significant. I'll probably never pay for a utility rental light--I'd prefer to install my own so that I have full control over it.

$12 a month is still significant. I'll probably never pay for a utility rental light--I'd prefer to install my own so that I have full control over it.

That’s what I’ve done. MV to boot !

$12 a month is still significant. I'll probably never pay for a utility rental light--I'd prefer to install my own so that I have full control over it.

Intriguing, I've never heard of the concept of renting a lamp like this. I assume you mean for your own property..? If so, here it's down to you what you install on your own land. Although you may have to apply for planning permission if it's going to affect the neighbours view or whatever.

It is up to you what you install, but there is often a problem for a power feed. If youdo it on your own, you need either a feed from your house, or set up an extra consumer point from the utility company (with a meter,...)
The second could be rather expensive - you have to pay for one consumer point more than you do without the light (your house).
In any case, when an utility pole is already at the place where you want the light (feeding your home), for your own light you have to make an agreement with the company (assume the pole is not yours) to place the light there and run the wiring back from your home.
In such case (very common with e.g. farms when you want to light the access road where the feed lines go along this road as well,...), renting the light service from the utility company (if they are offering that services, of course) makes all things very simple for you (as the farm owner). No extra wiring, good place for the fixture, no maintenance work for you, no hassle with extra metering (no problems with the accessible, so prone to vandals meter installation; here, as well as I would guess in many places no electricity service could be delivered without a meter installed; in many situations quite ridiculous law, ridiculous mainly when the consumption is either fixed, well predictable and/or low, like IT equipment and/or known light; light does not fall under the law and as the electricity is consumed by the utilities equipment, the fixture, there is no need for any meter anymore; a way around that law for a light).
Of course, having the light on the wall of your own house has the only benefit in the maintenance service, so becomes relatively quite expensive (compare to owning and operating the light directly)

That’s what I’ve done. MV to boot !

My utility (Xcel Energy) has 100w HPS and 150w HPS equivalent GE Devolves. the 100w is around $6 a month. However, when HPS was still available for rental (70-150w) the prices were the same as the LED equivalents. They still offer 250w and 400w HPS for rentals, 250w is around $10 and 400w is around $14. They will use either a bracket fixture or a floodlight depending on the area.