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How much does it cost to run a laptop?
At the U.S. average residential price of 18.31¢ per kilowatt-hour (July 2026), running a laptop costs about $21.97 a year. Your own bill depends on your state's rate, which ranges from 12.72¢ to 48.00¢ across the country.
- Per hour
- 1.1¢
- Per day of use
- 8.8¢
- Per month
- $1.83
- Per year
- $21.97
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | 12.72¢ | $1.27 | $15.26 |
| Nevada | 12.77¢ | $1.28 | $15.32 |
| Utah | 13.12¢ | $1.31 | $15.74 |
| North Dakota | 13.41¢ | $1.34 | $16.09 |
| Tennessee | 13.71¢ | $1.37 | $16.45 |
| Idaho | 13.73¢ | $1.37 | $16.48 |
| Nebraska | 13.78¢ | $1.38 | $16.54 |
| Kentucky | 13.81¢ | $1.38 | $16.57 |
| Arkansas | 14.33¢ | $1.43 | $17.20 |
| Oklahoma | 14.35¢ | $1.43 | $17.22 |
| Wyoming | 14.36¢ | $1.44 | $17.23 |
| Mississippi | 14.54¢ | $1.45 | $17.45 |
| Washington | 14.71¢ | $1.47 | $17.65 |
| Montana | 14.99¢ | $1.50 | $17.99 |
| Florida | 15.03¢ | $1.50 | $18.04 |
| North Carolina | 15.16¢ | $1.52 | $18.19 |
| Kansas | 15.27¢ | $1.53 | $18.32 |
| South Dakota | 15.37¢ | $1.54 | $18.44 |
| Arizona | 15.38¢ | $1.54 | $18.46 |
| South Carolina | 15.47¢ | $1.55 | $18.56 |
| West Virginia | 15.78¢ | $1.58 | $18.94 |
| Texas | 15.88¢ | $1.59 | $19.06 |
| Oregon | 15.97¢ | $1.60 | $19.16 |
| Iowa | 15.99¢ | $1.60 | $19.19 |
| Missouri | 16.09¢ | $1.61 | $19.31 |
| New Mexico | 16.09¢ | $1.61 | $19.31 |
| Georgia | 16.27¢ | $1.63 | $19.52 |
| Alabama | 16.40¢ | $1.64 | $19.68 |
| Indiana | 16.73¢ | $1.67 | $20.08 |
| Colorado | 17.00¢ | $1.70 | $20.40 |
| Minnesota | 17.45¢ | $1.74 | $20.94 |
| Virginia | 17.55¢ | $1.76 | $21.06 |
| Delaware | 18.48¢ | $1.85 | $22.18 |
| Wisconsin | 19.06¢ | $1.91 | $22.87 |
| Illinois | 19.22¢ | $1.92 | $23.06 |
| Ohio | 19.45¢ | $1.95 | $23.34 |
| Maryland | 21.41¢ | $2.14 | $25.69 |
| Pennsylvania | 21.72¢ | $2.17 | $26.06 |
| Michigan | 23.05¢ | $2.31 | $27.66 |
| Vermont | 23.75¢ | $2.38 | $28.50 |
| Connecticut | 24.16¢ | $2.42 | $28.99 |
| New Jersey | 25.19¢ | $2.52 | $30.23 |
| District of Columbia | 25.21¢ | $2.52 | $30.25 |
| New Hampshire | 26.60¢ | $2.66 | $31.92 |
| Rhode Island | 28.29¢ | $2.83 | $33.95 |
| Alaska | 28.83¢ | $2.88 | $34.60 |
| New York | 29.90¢ | $2.99 | $35.88 |
| Massachusetts | 30.49¢ | $3.05 | $36.59 |
| Maine | 32.41¢ | $3.24 | $38.89 |
| California | 33.61¢ | $3.36 | $40.33 |
| Hawaii | 48.00¢ | $4.80 | $57.60 |
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 $21.97 a year.
- Where is it cheapest to run?
- Louisiana, at $15.26 a year, versus $57.60 in Hawaii — a spread of $42.34.