How much does a computer monitor cost to run?
$6.69 a month
- A day of use
- $0.22
- An hour of running
- $0.03
- A year
- $80.33
150 W, 8 hours a day, at the US average of 18.3¢ per kWh (EIA, June 2026). How we calculate this
Change the watts, hours or rate
What it costs at other usage levels
| Use | A day | A month | A year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 hour a day | $0.03 | $0.84 | $10.04 |
| 2 hours a day | $0.06 | $1.67 | $20.08 |
| 4 hours a day | $0.11 | $3.35 | $40.16 |
| 8 hours a day typical | $0.22 | $6.69 | $80.33 |
| 24 hours a day | $0.66 | $20.08 | $240.99 |
A typical model draws about 150 W (Virginia Cooperative Extension).
Ways to spend less
- Lower the brightness; it is the main driver of a monitor's power use.
- Let it sleep after a few minutes idle.
- Switch it off at the button at night rather than leaving it on standby.
What a computer monitor costs to run in every state
| Rank | State | Rate | A month | A year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | 13.1¢ | $4.79 | $57.42 |
| 2 | Nebraska | 13.3¢ | $4.84 | $58.04 |
| 3 | Utah | 13.4¢ | $4.88 | $58.56 |
| 4 | Louisiana | 13.5¢ | $4.92 | $59.09 |
| 5 | Tennessee | 14.1¢ | $5.14 | $61.63 |
| 6 | Arkansas | 14.1¢ | $5.15 | $61.85 |
| 7 | North Dakota | 14.1¢ | $5.15 | $61.85 |
| 8 | Kentucky | 14.3¢ | $5.20 | $62.46 |
| 9 | Oklahoma | 14.3¢ | $5.23 | $62.77 |
| 10 | Idaho | 14.4¢ | $5.25 | $62.94 |
| 11 | North Carolina | 14.7¢ | $5.38 | $64.56 |
| 12 | Mississippi | 14.9¢ | $5.43 | $65.17 |
| 13 | Washington | 14.9¢ | $5.44 | $65.31 |
| 14 | New Mexico | 15.1¢ | $5.50 | $65.96 |
| 15 | Florida | 15.1¢ | $5.51 | $66.14 |
| 16 | Montana | 15.1¢ | $5.53 | $66.31 |
| 17 | Arizona | 15.2¢ | $5.54 | $66.49 |
| 18 | Wyoming | 15.2¢ | $5.56 | $66.75 |
| 19 | South Dakota | 15.4¢ | $5.61 | $67.28 |
| 20 | West Virginia | 15.5¢ | $5.64 | $67.67 |
| 21 | South Carolina | 15.6¢ | $5.68 | $68.11 |
| 22 | Kansas | 15.7¢ | $5.73 | $68.81 |
| 23 | Iowa | 15.9¢ | $5.81 | $69.77 |
| 24 | Texas | 15.9¢ | $5.82 | $69.82 |
| 25 | Missouri | 16.2¢ | $5.92 | $71.04 |
| 26 | Oregon | 16.3¢ | $5.96 | $71.48 |
| 27 | Georgia | 16.4¢ | $5.97 | $71.66 |
| 28 | Alabama | 16.4¢ | $5.99 | $71.83 |
| 29 | Colorado | 17.1¢ | $6.25 | $75.03 |
| 30 | Virginia | 17.2¢ | $6.29 | $75.42 |
| 31 | Indiana | 17.5¢ | $6.39 | $76.69 |
| 32 | Minnesota | 17.5¢ | $6.39 | $76.74 |
| 33 | Ohio | 19.2¢ | $7.00 | $84.05 |
| 34 | Delaware | 19.3¢ | $7.04 | $84.49 |
| 35 | Wisconsin | 19.6¢ | $7.14 | $85.67 |
| 36 | Illinois | 19.9¢ | $7.26 | $87.12 |
| 37 | Pennsylvania | 21.7¢ | $7.93 | $95.18 |
| 38 | Maryland | 21.8¢ | $7.97 | $95.66 |
| 39 | Michigan | 23.0¢ | $8.39 | $100.70 |
| 40 | Connecticut | 24.3¢ | $8.88 | $106.52 |
| 41 | District of Columbia | 24.4¢ | $8.90 | $106.83 |
| 42 | Vermont | 24.4¢ | $8.92 | $107.05 |
| 43 | New Jersey | 25.0¢ | $9.11 | $109.28 |
| 44 | New Hampshire | 27.0¢ | $9.86 | $118.30 |
| 45 | Alaska | 28.2¢ | $10.30 | $123.56 |
| 46 | Rhode Island | 29.2¢ | $10.67 | $128.03 |
| 47 | New York | 29.5¢ | $10.76 | $129.17 |
| 48 | Maine | 29.6¢ | $10.80 | $129.60 |
| 49 | Massachusetts | 29.6¢ | $10.81 | $129.69 |
| 50 | California | 34.7¢ | $12.68 | $152.16 |
| 51 | Hawaii | 52.7¢ | $19.24 | $230.91 |
Questions
How much does it cost to run a computer monitor per hour?
About $0.03 an hour. A computer monitor at 150 W uses 0.150 kWh per hour, and at the US average of 18.3¢ per kWh that comes to $0.03.
How much does a computer monitor add to your electric bill?
Used 8 hours a day, about $6.69 a month, or $80.33 a year.
How much does it cost to run a computer monitor 24 hours a day?
Running nonstop, a computer monitor would use 3.60 kWh a day and cost $0.66 a day, or $20.08 over an average month.
How many watts does a computer monitor use?
A typical model draws about 150 W (Virginia Cooperative Extension). Check the label on yours: cost scales directly with watts, so a 20% lower wattage means a 20% lower bill.
Which state is cheapest to run a computer monitor in?
Nevada, at 13.1¢ per kWh: $4.79 a month. The most expensive is Hawaii at 52.7¢ per kWh: $19.24 a month. Same appliance, same hours; only the rate differs.
Sources
- Virginia Cooperative Extension: Estimating appliance and home electronic energy use (reproduces U.S. Department of Energy sample wattages)
- Penn State EGEE 102: Typical range of power consumption (wattage)
- U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A: average price of electricity to ultimate customers, residential, June 2026 Figures transcribed from republications of this table on September 26, 2026; pending direct verification from the EIA API.
Usage assumptions (hours a day, season) are ours and listed on the methodology page. Found an error? Tell us.