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How much does it cost to run a 3D printer?
At the U.S. average residential price of 18.34¢ per kilowatt-hour (June 2026), running a 3D printer costs about $11.88 a year. Your own bill depends on your state's rate, which ranges from 13.11¢ to 52.72¢ across the country.
- Per hour
- 1.3¢
- Per day of use
- 7.9¢
- Per month
- 99.0¢
- Per year
- $11.88
Assumption: 120 W at a 60% duty cycle, 6 hours a day, 150 days a year — 65 kWh a year. A consumer FDM printer mid-print. The heated bed dominates the draw, and an enclosure lowers the duty cycle by holding heat in.
Cost by state
Same appliance, same usage, 51 different prices. Sorted cheapest first.
| State | Rate | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nevada | 13.11¢ | 70.8¢ | $8.50 |
| Nebraska | 13.25¢ | 71.5¢ | $8.59 |
| Utah | 13.37¢ | 72.2¢ | $8.66 |
| Louisiana | 13.49¢ | 72.8¢ | $8.74 |
| Tennessee | 14.07¢ | 76.0¢ | $9.12 |
| North Dakota | 14.12¢ | 76.2¢ | $9.15 |
| Arkansas | 14.12¢ | 76.2¢ | $9.15 |
| Kentucky | 14.26¢ | 77.0¢ | $9.24 |
| Oklahoma | 14.33¢ | 77.4¢ | $9.29 |
| Idaho | 14.37¢ | 77.6¢ | $9.31 |
| North Carolina | 14.74¢ | 79.6¢ | $9.55 |
| Mississippi | 14.88¢ | 80.4¢ | $9.64 |
| Washington | 14.91¢ | 80.5¢ | $9.66 |
| New Mexico | 15.06¢ | 81.3¢ | $9.76 |
| Florida | 15.10¢ | 81.5¢ | $9.78 |
| Montana | 15.14¢ | 81.8¢ | $9.81 |
| Arizona | 15.18¢ | 82.0¢ | $9.84 |
| Wyoming | 15.24¢ | 82.3¢ | $9.88 |
| South Dakota | 15.36¢ | 82.9¢ | $9.95 |
| West Virginia | 15.45¢ | 83.4¢ | $10.01 |
| South Carolina | 15.55¢ | 84.0¢ | $10.08 |
| Kansas | 15.71¢ | 84.8¢ | $10.18 |
| Iowa | 15.93¢ | 86.0¢ | $10.32 |
| Texas | 15.94¢ | 86.1¢ | $10.33 |
| Missouri | 16.22¢ | 87.6¢ | $10.51 |
| Oregon | 16.32¢ | 88.1¢ | $10.58 |
| Georgia | 16.36¢ | 88.3¢ | $10.60 |
| Alabama | 16.40¢ | 88.6¢ | $10.63 |
| Colorado | 17.13¢ | 92.5¢ | $11.10 |
| Virginia | 17.22¢ | 93.0¢ | $11.16 |
| Indiana | 17.51¢ | 94.6¢ | $11.35 |
| Minnesota | 17.52¢ | 94.6¢ | $11.35 |
| Ohio | 19.19¢ | $1.04 | $12.44 |
| Delaware | 19.29¢ | $1.04 | $12.50 |
| Wisconsin | 19.56¢ | $1.06 | $12.67 |
| Illinois | 19.89¢ | $1.07 | $12.89 |
| Pennsylvania | 21.73¢ | $1.17 | $14.08 |
| Maryland | 21.84¢ | $1.18 | $14.15 |
| Michigan | 22.99¢ | $1.24 | $14.90 |
| Connecticut | 24.32¢ | $1.31 | $15.76 |
| District of Columbia | 24.39¢ | $1.32 | $15.80 |
| Vermont | 24.44¢ | $1.32 | $15.84 |
| New Jersey | 24.95¢ | $1.35 | $16.17 |
| New Hampshire | 27.01¢ | $1.46 | $17.50 |
| Alaska | 28.21¢ | $1.52 | $18.28 |
| Rhode Island | 29.23¢ | $1.58 | $18.94 |
| New York | 29.49¢ | $1.59 | $19.11 |
| Maine | 29.59¢ | $1.60 | $19.17 |
| Massachusetts | 29.61¢ | $1.60 | $19.19 |
| California | 34.74¢ | $1.88 | $22.51 |
| Hawaii | 52.72¢ | $2.85 | $34.16 |
Cutting the number down
- The heated bed, not the hotend, is the load. Lowering bed temperature after the first layers cuts the average draw.
- Long prints are cheap per hour but numerous: a week of continuous printing is a real line item.
Questions
- How many watts does a 3D printer use?
- About 120 W while running, though it cycles on and off, so average draw is 72 W.
- How much does a 3D printer cost per month?
- About 99.0¢ a month at the U.S. average rate, or $11.88 a year.
- Where is it cheapest to run?
- Nevada, at $8.50 a year, versus $34.16 in Hawaii — a spread of $25.67.