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How much does it cost to run a game console?
At the U.S. average residential price of 18.31¢ per kilowatt-hour (July 2026), running a game console costs about $40.10 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
- 11.0¢
- Per month
- $3.34
- Per year
- $40.10
Assumption: 200 W, 3 hours a day, 365 days a year — 219 kWh a year. A current-generation console under load. Menus and streaming apps draw far less than a demanding game.
Cost by state
Same appliance, same usage, 51 different prices. Sorted cheapest first.
| State | Rate | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | 12.72¢ | $2.32 | $27.86 |
| Nevada | 12.77¢ | $2.33 | $27.97 |
| Utah | 13.12¢ | $2.39 | $28.73 |
| North Dakota | 13.41¢ | $2.45 | $29.37 |
| Tennessee | 13.71¢ | $2.50 | $30.02 |
| Idaho | 13.73¢ | $2.51 | $30.07 |
| Nebraska | 13.78¢ | $2.51 | $30.18 |
| Kentucky | 13.81¢ | $2.52 | $30.24 |
| Arkansas | 14.33¢ | $2.62 | $31.38 |
| Oklahoma | 14.35¢ | $2.62 | $31.43 |
| Wyoming | 14.36¢ | $2.62 | $31.45 |
| Mississippi | 14.54¢ | $2.65 | $31.84 |
| Washington | 14.71¢ | $2.68 | $32.21 |
| Montana | 14.99¢ | $2.74 | $32.83 |
| Florida | 15.03¢ | $2.74 | $32.92 |
| North Carolina | 15.16¢ | $2.77 | $33.20 |
| Kansas | 15.27¢ | $2.79 | $33.44 |
| South Dakota | 15.37¢ | $2.81 | $33.66 |
| Arizona | 15.38¢ | $2.81 | $33.68 |
| South Carolina | 15.47¢ | $2.82 | $33.88 |
| West Virginia | 15.78¢ | $2.88 | $34.56 |
| Texas | 15.88¢ | $2.90 | $34.78 |
| Oregon | 15.97¢ | $2.91 | $34.97 |
| Iowa | 15.99¢ | $2.92 | $35.02 |
| Missouri | 16.09¢ | $2.94 | $35.24 |
| New Mexico | 16.09¢ | $2.94 | $35.24 |
| Georgia | 16.27¢ | $2.97 | $35.63 |
| Alabama | 16.40¢ | $2.99 | $35.92 |
| Indiana | 16.73¢ | $3.05 | $36.64 |
| Colorado | 17.00¢ | $3.10 | $37.23 |
| Minnesota | 17.45¢ | $3.18 | $38.22 |
| Virginia | 17.55¢ | $3.20 | $38.43 |
| Delaware | 18.48¢ | $3.37 | $40.47 |
| Wisconsin | 19.06¢ | $3.48 | $41.74 |
| Illinois | 19.22¢ | $3.51 | $42.09 |
| Ohio | 19.45¢ | $3.55 | $42.60 |
| Maryland | 21.41¢ | $3.91 | $46.89 |
| Pennsylvania | 21.72¢ | $3.96 | $47.57 |
| Michigan | 23.05¢ | $4.21 | $50.48 |
| Vermont | 23.75¢ | $4.33 | $52.01 |
| Connecticut | 24.16¢ | $4.41 | $52.91 |
| New Jersey | 25.19¢ | $4.60 | $55.17 |
| District of Columbia | 25.21¢ | $4.60 | $55.21 |
| New Hampshire | 26.60¢ | $4.85 | $58.25 |
| Rhode Island | 28.29¢ | $5.16 | $61.96 |
| Alaska | 28.83¢ | $5.26 | $63.14 |
| New York | 29.90¢ | $5.46 | $65.48 |
| Massachusetts | 30.49¢ | $5.56 | $66.77 |
| Maine | 32.41¢ | $5.91 | $70.98 |
| California | 33.61¢ | $6.13 | $73.61 |
| Hawaii | 48.00¢ | $8.76 | $105 |
Cutting the number down
- The instant-on standby mode can draw 10 to 15 W around the clock, which over a year rivals the actual playing.
- Streaming video through a console uses several times the power of a dedicated streaming stick.
Questions
- How many watts does a game console use?
- About 200 W while running.
- How much does a game console cost per month?
- About $3.34 a month at the U.S. average rate, or $40.10 a year.
- Where is it cheapest to run?
- Louisiana, at $27.86 a year, versus $105 in Hawaii — a spread of $77.26.