How much does a laptop cost to run?
$2.23 a month
- A day of use
- $0.07
- An hour of running
- $0.01
- A year
- $26.78
50 W, 8 hours a day while plugged in, 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 | $0.01 | $0.28 | $3.35 |
| 2 hours a day | $0.02 | $0.56 | $6.69 |
| 4 hours a day | $0.04 | $1.12 | $13.39 |
| 8 hours a day typical | $0.07 | $2.23 | $26.78 |
| 24 hours a day | $0.22 | $6.69 | $80.33 |
A typical model draws about 50 W (Virginia Cooperative Extension).
Ways to spend less
- Turn down screen brightness; the display is one of the largest loads.
- Unplug the charger once the battery is full if you are not using it.
- Use the battery-saver power mode.
What a laptop costs to run in every state
| Rank | State | Rate | A month | A year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | 13.1¢ | $1.60 | $19.14 |
| 2 | Nebraska | 13.3¢ | $1.61 | $19.35 |
| 3 | Utah | 13.4¢ | $1.63 | $19.52 |
| 4 | Louisiana | 13.5¢ | $1.64 | $19.70 |
| 5 | Tennessee | 14.1¢ | $1.71 | $20.54 |
| 6 | Arkansas | 14.1¢ | $1.72 | $20.62 |
| 7 | North Dakota | 14.1¢ | $1.72 | $20.62 |
| 8 | Kentucky | 14.3¢ | $1.73 | $20.82 |
| 9 | Oklahoma | 14.3¢ | $1.74 | $20.92 |
| 10 | Idaho | 14.4¢ | $1.75 | $20.98 |
| 11 | North Carolina | 14.7¢ | $1.79 | $21.52 |
| 12 | Mississippi | 14.9¢ | $1.81 | $21.72 |
| 13 | Washington | 14.9¢ | $1.81 | $21.77 |
| 14 | New Mexico | 15.1¢ | $1.83 | $21.99 |
| 15 | Florida | 15.1¢ | $1.84 | $22.05 |
| 16 | Montana | 15.1¢ | $1.84 | $22.10 |
| 17 | Arizona | 15.2¢ | $1.85 | $22.16 |
| 18 | Wyoming | 15.2¢ | $1.85 | $22.25 |
| 19 | South Dakota | 15.4¢ | $1.87 | $22.43 |
| 20 | West Virginia | 15.5¢ | $1.88 | $22.56 |
| 21 | South Carolina | 15.6¢ | $1.89 | $22.70 |
| 22 | Kansas | 15.7¢ | $1.91 | $22.94 |
| 23 | Iowa | 15.9¢ | $1.94 | $23.26 |
| 24 | Texas | 15.9¢ | $1.94 | $23.27 |
| 25 | Missouri | 16.2¢ | $1.97 | $23.68 |
| 26 | Oregon | 16.3¢ | $1.99 | $23.83 |
| 27 | Georgia | 16.4¢ | $1.99 | $23.89 |
| 28 | Alabama | 16.4¢ | $2.00 | $23.94 |
| 29 | Colorado | 17.1¢ | $2.08 | $25.01 |
| 30 | Virginia | 17.2¢ | $2.10 | $25.14 |
| 31 | Indiana | 17.5¢ | $2.13 | $25.56 |
| 32 | Minnesota | 17.5¢ | $2.13 | $25.58 |
| 33 | Ohio | 19.2¢ | $2.33 | $28.02 |
| 34 | Delaware | 19.3¢ | $2.35 | $28.16 |
| 35 | Wisconsin | 19.6¢ | $2.38 | $28.56 |
| 36 | Illinois | 19.9¢ | $2.42 | $29.04 |
| 37 | Pennsylvania | 21.7¢ | $2.64 | $31.73 |
| 38 | Maryland | 21.8¢ | $2.66 | $31.89 |
| 39 | Michigan | 23.0¢ | $2.80 | $33.57 |
| 40 | Connecticut | 24.3¢ | $2.96 | $35.51 |
| 41 | District of Columbia | 24.4¢ | $2.97 | $35.61 |
| 42 | Vermont | 24.4¢ | $2.97 | $35.68 |
| 43 | New Jersey | 25.0¢ | $3.04 | $36.43 |
| 44 | New Hampshire | 27.0¢ | $3.29 | $39.43 |
| 45 | Alaska | 28.2¢ | $3.43 | $41.19 |
| 46 | Rhode Island | 29.2¢ | $3.56 | $42.68 |
| 47 | New York | 29.5¢ | $3.59 | $43.06 |
| 48 | Maine | 29.6¢ | $3.60 | $43.20 |
| 49 | Massachusetts | 29.6¢ | $3.60 | $43.23 |
| 50 | California | 34.7¢ | $4.23 | $50.72 |
| 51 | Hawaii | 52.7¢ | $6.41 | $76.97 |
Questions
How much does it cost to run a laptop per hour?
About $0.01 an hour. A laptop at 50 W uses 0.050 kWh per hour, and at the US average of 18.3¢ per kWh that comes to $0.01.
How much does a laptop add to your electric bill?
Used 8 hours a day while plugged in, about $2.23 a month, or $26.78 a year.
How much does it cost to run a laptop 24 hours a day?
Running nonstop, a laptop would use 1.20 kWh a day and cost $0.22 a day, or $6.69 over an average month.
How many watts does a laptop use?
A typical model draws about 50 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 laptop in?
Nevada, at 13.1¢ per kWh: $1.60 a month. The most expensive is Hawaii at 52.7¢ per kWh: $6.41 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.