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How much does it cost to run a laptop?
At the U.S. average residential price of 18.34¢ per kilowatt-hour (June 2026), running a laptop costs about $22.01 a year. Your own bill depends on your state's rate, which ranges from 13.11¢ to 52.72¢ across the country.
- Per hour
- 1.1¢
- Per day of use
- 8.8¢
- Per month
- $1.83
- Per year
- $22.01
Assumption: 60 W, 8 hours a day, 250 days a year — 120 kWh a year. Charging and working. Once the battery is full, draw drops toward 20 to 30 W for light work.
Cost by state
Same appliance, same usage, 51 different prices. Sorted cheapest first.
| State | Rate | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nevada | 13.11¢ | $1.31 | $15.73 |
| Nebraska | 13.25¢ | $1.32 | $15.90 |
| Utah | 13.37¢ | $1.34 | $16.04 |
| Louisiana | 13.49¢ | $1.35 | $16.19 |
| Tennessee | 14.07¢ | $1.41 | $16.88 |
| North Dakota | 14.12¢ | $1.41 | $16.94 |
| Arkansas | 14.12¢ | $1.41 | $16.94 |
| Kentucky | 14.26¢ | $1.43 | $17.11 |
| Oklahoma | 14.33¢ | $1.43 | $17.20 |
| Idaho | 14.37¢ | $1.44 | $17.24 |
| North Carolina | 14.74¢ | $1.47 | $17.69 |
| Mississippi | 14.88¢ | $1.49 | $17.86 |
| Washington | 14.91¢ | $1.49 | $17.89 |
| New Mexico | 15.06¢ | $1.51 | $18.07 |
| Florida | 15.10¢ | $1.51 | $18.12 |
| Montana | 15.14¢ | $1.51 | $18.17 |
| Arizona | 15.18¢ | $1.52 | $18.22 |
| Wyoming | 15.24¢ | $1.52 | $18.29 |
| South Dakota | 15.36¢ | $1.54 | $18.43 |
| West Virginia | 15.45¢ | $1.54 | $18.54 |
| South Carolina | 15.55¢ | $1.55 | $18.66 |
| Kansas | 15.71¢ | $1.57 | $18.85 |
| Iowa | 15.93¢ | $1.59 | $19.12 |
| Texas | 15.94¢ | $1.59 | $19.13 |
| Missouri | 16.22¢ | $1.62 | $19.46 |
| Oregon | 16.32¢ | $1.63 | $19.58 |
| Georgia | 16.36¢ | $1.64 | $19.63 |
| Alabama | 16.40¢ | $1.64 | $19.68 |
| Colorado | 17.13¢ | $1.71 | $20.56 |
| Virginia | 17.22¢ | $1.72 | $20.66 |
| Indiana | 17.51¢ | $1.75 | $21.01 |
| Minnesota | 17.52¢ | $1.75 | $21.02 |
| Ohio | 19.19¢ | $1.92 | $23.03 |
| Delaware | 19.29¢ | $1.93 | $23.15 |
| Wisconsin | 19.56¢ | $1.96 | $23.47 |
| Illinois | 19.89¢ | $1.99 | $23.87 |
| Pennsylvania | 21.73¢ | $2.17 | $26.08 |
| Maryland | 21.84¢ | $2.18 | $26.21 |
| Michigan | 22.99¢ | $2.30 | $27.59 |
| Connecticut | 24.32¢ | $2.43 | $29.18 |
| District of Columbia | 24.39¢ | $2.44 | $29.27 |
| Vermont | 24.44¢ | $2.44 | $29.33 |
| New Jersey | 24.95¢ | $2.50 | $29.94 |
| New Hampshire | 27.01¢ | $2.70 | $32.41 |
| Alaska | 28.21¢ | $2.82 | $33.85 |
| Rhode Island | 29.23¢ | $2.92 | $35.08 |
| New York | 29.49¢ | $2.95 | $35.39 |
| Maine | 29.59¢ | $2.96 | $35.51 |
| Massachusetts | 29.61¢ | $2.96 | $35.53 |
| California | 34.74¢ | $3.47 | $41.69 |
| Hawaii | 52.72¢ | $5.27 | $63.26 |
Cutting the number down
- A laptop typically uses a fifth to a tenth of what a comparable desktop does for ordinary work.
- The charger left plugged in with no laptop attached draws almost nothing on modern units.
Questions
- How many watts does a laptop use?
- About 60 W while running.
- How much does a laptop cost per month?
- About $1.83 a month at the U.S. average rate, or $22.01 a year.
- Where is it cheapest to run?
- Nevada, at $15.73 a year, versus $63.26 in Hawaii — a spread of $47.53.