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How much does it cost to run a desktop computer?
At the U.S. average residential price of 18.31¢ per kilowatt-hour (July 2026), running a desktop computer costs about $73.24 a year. Your own bill depends on your state's rate, which ranges from 12.72¢ to 48.00¢ across the country.
- Per hour
- 3.7¢
- Per day of use
- 29.3¢
- Per month
- $6.10
- Per year
- $73.24
Assumption: 200 W, 8 hours a day, 250 days a year — 400 kWh a year. An office-class tower plus monitor, doing ordinary work.
Cost by state
Same appliance, same usage, 51 different prices. Sorted cheapest first.
| State | Rate | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | 12.72¢ | $4.24 | $50.88 |
| Nevada | 12.77¢ | $4.26 | $51.08 |
| Utah | 13.12¢ | $4.37 | $52.48 |
| North Dakota | 13.41¢ | $4.47 | $53.64 |
| Tennessee | 13.71¢ | $4.57 | $54.84 |
| Idaho | 13.73¢ | $4.58 | $54.92 |
| Nebraska | 13.78¢ | $4.59 | $55.12 |
| Kentucky | 13.81¢ | $4.60 | $55.24 |
| Arkansas | 14.33¢ | $4.78 | $57.32 |
| Oklahoma | 14.35¢ | $4.78 | $57.40 |
| Wyoming | 14.36¢ | $4.79 | $57.44 |
| Mississippi | 14.54¢ | $4.85 | $58.16 |
| Washington | 14.71¢ | $4.90 | $58.84 |
| Montana | 14.99¢ | $5.00 | $59.96 |
| Florida | 15.03¢ | $5.01 | $60.12 |
| North Carolina | 15.16¢ | $5.05 | $60.64 |
| Kansas | 15.27¢ | $5.09 | $61.08 |
| South Dakota | 15.37¢ | $5.12 | $61.48 |
| Arizona | 15.38¢ | $5.13 | $61.52 |
| South Carolina | 15.47¢ | $5.16 | $61.88 |
| West Virginia | 15.78¢ | $5.26 | $63.12 |
| Texas | 15.88¢ | $5.29 | $63.52 |
| Oregon | 15.97¢ | $5.32 | $63.88 |
| Iowa | 15.99¢ | $5.33 | $63.96 |
| Missouri | 16.09¢ | $5.36 | $64.36 |
| New Mexico | 16.09¢ | $5.36 | $64.36 |
| Georgia | 16.27¢ | $5.42 | $65.08 |
| Alabama | 16.40¢ | $5.47 | $65.60 |
| Indiana | 16.73¢ | $5.58 | $66.92 |
| Colorado | 17.00¢ | $5.67 | $68.00 |
| Minnesota | 17.45¢ | $5.82 | $69.80 |
| Virginia | 17.55¢ | $5.85 | $70.20 |
| Delaware | 18.48¢ | $6.16 | $73.92 |
| Wisconsin | 19.06¢ | $6.35 | $76.24 |
| Illinois | 19.22¢ | $6.41 | $76.88 |
| Ohio | 19.45¢ | $6.48 | $77.80 |
| Maryland | 21.41¢ | $7.14 | $85.64 |
| Pennsylvania | 21.72¢ | $7.24 | $86.88 |
| Michigan | 23.05¢ | $7.68 | $92.20 |
| Vermont | 23.75¢ | $7.92 | $95.00 |
| Connecticut | 24.16¢ | $8.05 | $96.64 |
| New Jersey | 25.19¢ | $8.40 | $101 |
| District of Columbia | 25.21¢ | $8.40 | $101 |
| New Hampshire | 26.60¢ | $8.87 | $106 |
| Rhode Island | 28.29¢ | $9.43 | $113 |
| Alaska | 28.83¢ | $9.61 | $115 |
| New York | 29.90¢ | $9.97 | $120 |
| Massachusetts | 30.49¢ | $10.16 | $122 |
| Maine | 32.41¢ | $10.80 | $130 |
| California | 33.61¢ | $11.20 | $134 |
| Hawaii | 48.00¢ | $16.00 | $192 |
Cutting the number down
- Sleep after 15 minutes idle is the default with the largest payoff and the smallest downside.
- Screensavers do not save energy; a display running a 3D animation costs more than a blank screen.
Questions
- How many watts does a desktop computer use?
- About 200 W while running.
- How much does a desktop computer cost per month?
- About $6.10 a month at the U.S. average rate, or $73.24 a year.
- Where is it cheapest to run?
- Louisiana, at $50.88 a year, versus $192 in Hawaii — a spread of $141.