diff --git a/esphome/components/api/api.proto b/esphome/components/api/api.proto
index 26d1fa687..74a8e8ff7 100644
--- a/esphome/components/api/api.proto
+++ b/esphome/components/api/api.proto
@@ -518,7 +518,7 @@ message ListEntitiesLightResponse {
   bool legacy_supports_color_temperature = 8 [deprecated=true];
   float min_mireds = 9;
   float max_mireds = 10;
-  repeated string effects = 11;
+  repeated string effects = 11 [(container_pointer_no_template) = "FixedVector<const char *>"];
   bool disabled_by_default = 13;
   string icon = 14 [(field_ifdef) = "USE_ENTITY_ICON"];
   EntityCategory entity_category = 15;
diff --git a/esphome/components/api/api_connection.cpp b/esphome/components/api/api_connection.cpp
index ebfc64153..12cbbb991 100644
--- a/esphome/components/api/api_connection.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/api/api_connection.cpp
@@ -484,12 +484,16 @@ uint16_t APIConnection::try_send_light_info(EntityBase *entity, APIConnection *c
     msg.min_mireds = traits.get_min_mireds();
     msg.max_mireds = traits.get_max_mireds();
   }
+  FixedVector<const char *> effects_list;
   if (light->supports_effects()) {
-    msg.effects.emplace_back("None");
-    for (auto *effect : light->get_effects()) {
-      msg.effects.emplace_back(effect->get_name());
+    auto &light_effects = light->get_effects();
+    effects_list.init(light_effects.size() + 1);
+    effects_list.push_back("None");
+    for (auto *effect : light_effects) {
+      effects_list.push_back(effect->get_name());
     }
   }
+  msg.effects = &effects_list;
   return fill_and_encode_entity_info(light, msg, ListEntitiesLightResponse::MESSAGE_TYPE, conn, remaining_size,
                                      is_single);
 }
diff --git a/esphome/components/api/api_pb2.cpp b/esphome/components/api/api_pb2.cpp
index d52135a56..c13181545 100644
--- a/esphome/components/api/api_pb2.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/api/api_pb2.cpp
@@ -476,8 +476,8 @@ void ListEntitiesLightResponse::encode(ProtoWriteBuffer buffer) const {
   }
   buffer.encode_float(9, this->min_mireds);
   buffer.encode_float(10, this->max_mireds);
-  for (auto &it : this->effects) {
-    buffer.encode_string(11, it, true);
+  for (const char *it : *this->effects) {
+    buffer.encode_string(11, it, strlen(it), true);
   }
   buffer.encode_bool(13, this->disabled_by_default);
 #ifdef USE_ENTITY_ICON
@@ -499,9 +499,9 @@ void ListEntitiesLightResponse::calculate_size(ProtoSize &size) const {
   }
   size.add_float(1, this->min_mireds);
   size.add_float(1, this->max_mireds);
-  if (!this->effects.empty()) {
-    for (const auto &it : this->effects) {
-      size.add_length_force(1, it.size());
+  if (!this->effects->empty()) {
+    for (const char *it : *this->effects) {
+      size.add_length_force(1, strlen(it));
     }
   }
   size.add_bool(1, this->disabled_by_default);
diff --git a/esphome/components/api/api_pb2.h b/esphome/components/api/api_pb2.h
index b19e92d4f..93ece74d8 100644
--- a/esphome/components/api/api_pb2.h
+++ b/esphome/components/api/api_pb2.h
@@ -793,7 +793,7 @@ class ListEntitiesLightResponse final : public InfoResponseProtoMessage {
   const light::ColorModeMask *supported_color_modes{};
   float min_mireds{0.0f};
   float max_mireds{0.0f};
-  std::vector<std::string> effects{};
+  const FixedVector<const char *> *effects{};
   void encode(ProtoWriteBuffer buffer) const override;
   void calculate_size(ProtoSize &size) const override;
 #ifdef HAS_PROTO_MESSAGE_DUMP
diff --git a/esphome/components/api/api_pb2_dump.cpp b/esphome/components/api/api_pb2_dump.cpp
index ea752ba3b..a985e052a 100644
--- a/esphome/components/api/api_pb2_dump.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/api/api_pb2_dump.cpp
@@ -924,7 +924,7 @@ void ListEntitiesLightResponse::dump_to(std::string &out) const {
   }
   dump_field(out, "min_mireds", this->min_mireds);
   dump_field(out, "max_mireds", this->max_mireds);
-  for (const auto &it : this->effects) {
+  for (const auto &it : *this->effects) {
     dump_field(out, "effects", it, 4);
   }
   dump_field(out, "disabled_by_default", this->disabled_by_default);