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How much does it cost to run an aquarium?
At the U.S. average residential price of 18.34¢ per kilowatt-hour (June 2026), running an aquarium costs about $108 a year. Your own bill depends on your state's rate, which ranges from 13.11¢ to 52.72¢ across the country.
- Per hour
- 1.2¢
- Per day of use
- 29.7¢
- Per month
- $9.04
- Per year
- $108
Assumption: 150 W at a 45% duty cycle, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year — 591 kWh a year. A 55-gallon tank: heater, filter and light combined, averaged over a day.
Cost by state
Same appliance, same usage, 51 different prices. Sorted cheapest first.
| State | Rate | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nevada | 13.11¢ | $6.46 | $77.52 |
| Nebraska | 13.25¢ | $6.53 | $78.35 |
| Utah | 13.37¢ | $6.59 | $79.06 |
| Louisiana | 13.49¢ | $6.65 | $79.77 |
| Tennessee | 14.07¢ | $6.93 | $83.20 |
| North Dakota | 14.12¢ | $6.96 | $83.49 |
| Arkansas | 14.12¢ | $6.96 | $83.49 |
| Kentucky | 14.26¢ | $7.03 | $84.32 |
| Oklahoma | 14.33¢ | $7.06 | $84.73 |
| Idaho | 14.37¢ | $7.08 | $84.97 |
| North Carolina | 14.74¢ | $7.26 | $87.16 |
| Mississippi | 14.88¢ | $7.33 | $87.99 |
| Washington | 14.91¢ | $7.35 | $88.16 |
| New Mexico | 15.06¢ | $7.42 | $89.05 |
| Florida | 15.10¢ | $7.44 | $89.29 |
| Montana | 15.14¢ | $7.46 | $89.52 |
| Arizona | 15.18¢ | $7.48 | $89.76 |
| Wyoming | 15.24¢ | $7.51 | $90.11 |
| South Dakota | 15.36¢ | $7.57 | $90.82 |
| West Virginia | 15.45¢ | $7.61 | $91.36 |
| South Carolina | 15.55¢ | $7.66 | $91.95 |
| Kansas | 15.71¢ | $7.74 | $92.89 |
| Iowa | 15.93¢ | $7.85 | $94.19 |
| Texas | 15.94¢ | $7.85 | $94.25 |
| Missouri | 16.22¢ | $7.99 | $95.91 |
| Oregon | 16.32¢ | $8.04 | $96.50 |
| Georgia | 16.36¢ | $8.06 | $96.74 |
| Alabama | 16.40¢ | $8.08 | $96.97 |
| Colorado | 17.13¢ | $8.44 | $101 |
| Virginia | 17.22¢ | $8.49 | $102 |
| Indiana | 17.51¢ | $8.63 | $104 |
| Minnesota | 17.52¢ | $8.63 | $104 |
| Ohio | 19.19¢ | $9.46 | $113 |
| Delaware | 19.29¢ | $9.51 | $114 |
| Wisconsin | 19.56¢ | $9.64 | $116 |
| Illinois | 19.89¢ | $9.80 | $118 |
| Pennsylvania | 21.73¢ | $10.71 | $128 |
| Maryland | 21.84¢ | $10.76 | $129 |
| Michigan | 22.99¢ | $11.33 | $136 |
| Connecticut | 24.32¢ | $11.98 | $144 |
| District of Columbia | 24.39¢ | $12.02 | $144 |
| Vermont | 24.44¢ | $12.04 | $145 |
| New Jersey | 24.95¢ | $12.29 | $148 |
| New Hampshire | 27.01¢ | $13.31 | $160 |
| Alaska | 28.21¢ | $13.90 | $167 |
| Rhode Island | 29.23¢ | $14.40 | $173 |
| New York | 29.49¢ | $14.53 | $174 |
| Maine | 29.59¢ | $14.58 | $175 |
| Massachusetts | 29.61¢ | $14.59 | $175 |
| California | 34.74¢ | $17.12 | $205 |
| Hawaii | 52.72¢ | $25.98 | $312 |
Cutting the number down
- The heater is nearly all of it, and its runtime depends on the room. A tank in a cool room costs more to keep warm.
- Insulating the back and sides of the tank cuts heater runtime without changing the view.
- A lid limits evaporative heat loss, which is the main way an open tank sheds the warmth you paid for.
Questions
- How many watts does an aquarium use?
- About 150 W while running, though it cycles on and off, so average draw is 68 W.
- How much does an aquarium cost per month?
- About $9.04 a month at the U.S. average rate, or $108 a year.
- Where is it cheapest to run?
- Nevada, at $77.52 a year, versus $312 in Hawaii — a spread of $234.