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How much does it cost to run a smart speaker?
At the U.S. average residential price of 18.34¢ per kilowatt-hour (June 2026), running a smart speaker costs about $4.82 a year. Your own bill depends on your state's rate, which ranges from 13.11¢ to 52.72¢ across the country.
- Per hour
- under 0.1¢
- Per day of use
- 1.3¢
- Per month
- 40.2¢
- Per year
- $4.82
Assumption: 3 W, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year — 26 kWh a year. Idle listening. Playing music at volume draws several times more, but only while it plays.
Cost by state
Same appliance, same usage, 51 different prices. Sorted cheapest first.
| State | Rate | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nevada | 13.11¢ | 28.7¢ | $3.45 |
| Nebraska | 13.25¢ | 29.0¢ | $3.48 |
| Utah | 13.37¢ | 29.3¢ | $3.51 |
| Louisiana | 13.49¢ | 29.5¢ | $3.55 |
| Tennessee | 14.07¢ | 30.8¢ | $3.70 |
| North Dakota | 14.12¢ | 30.9¢ | $3.71 |
| Arkansas | 14.12¢ | 30.9¢ | $3.71 |
| Kentucky | 14.26¢ | 31.2¢ | $3.75 |
| Oklahoma | 14.33¢ | 31.4¢ | $3.77 |
| Idaho | 14.37¢ | 31.5¢ | $3.78 |
| North Carolina | 14.74¢ | 32.3¢ | $3.87 |
| Mississippi | 14.88¢ | 32.6¢ | $3.91 |
| Washington | 14.91¢ | 32.7¢ | $3.92 |
| New Mexico | 15.06¢ | 33.0¢ | $3.96 |
| Florida | 15.10¢ | 33.1¢ | $3.97 |
| Montana | 15.14¢ | 33.2¢ | $3.98 |
| Arizona | 15.18¢ | 33.2¢ | $3.99 |
| Wyoming | 15.24¢ | 33.4¢ | $4.01 |
| South Dakota | 15.36¢ | 33.6¢ | $4.04 |
| West Virginia | 15.45¢ | 33.8¢ | $4.06 |
| South Carolina | 15.55¢ | 34.1¢ | $4.09 |
| Kansas | 15.71¢ | 34.4¢ | $4.13 |
| Iowa | 15.93¢ | 34.9¢ | $4.19 |
| Texas | 15.94¢ | 34.9¢ | $4.19 |
| Missouri | 16.22¢ | 35.5¢ | $4.26 |
| Oregon | 16.32¢ | 35.7¢ | $4.29 |
| Georgia | 16.36¢ | 35.8¢ | $4.30 |
| Alabama | 16.40¢ | 35.9¢ | $4.31 |
| Colorado | 17.13¢ | 37.5¢ | $4.50 |
| Virginia | 17.22¢ | 37.7¢ | $4.53 |
| Indiana | 17.51¢ | 38.3¢ | $4.60 |
| Minnesota | 17.52¢ | 38.4¢ | $4.60 |
| Ohio | 19.19¢ | 42.0¢ | $5.04 |
| Delaware | 19.29¢ | 42.2¢ | $5.07 |
| Wisconsin | 19.56¢ | 42.8¢ | $5.14 |
| Illinois | 19.89¢ | 43.6¢ | $5.23 |
| Pennsylvania | 21.73¢ | 47.6¢ | $5.71 |
| Maryland | 21.84¢ | 47.8¢ | $5.74 |
| Michigan | 22.99¢ | 50.3¢ | $6.04 |
| Connecticut | 24.32¢ | 53.3¢ | $6.39 |
| District of Columbia | 24.39¢ | 53.4¢ | $6.41 |
| Vermont | 24.44¢ | 53.5¢ | $6.42 |
| New Jersey | 24.95¢ | 54.6¢ | $6.56 |
| New Hampshire | 27.01¢ | 59.2¢ | $7.10 |
| Alaska | 28.21¢ | 61.8¢ | $7.41 |
| Rhode Island | 29.23¢ | 64.0¢ | $7.68 |
| New York | 29.49¢ | 64.6¢ | $7.75 |
| Maine | 29.59¢ | 64.8¢ | $7.78 |
| Massachusetts | 29.61¢ | 64.8¢ | $7.78 |
| California | 34.74¢ | 76.1¢ | $9.13 |
| Hawaii | 52.72¢ | $1.15 | $13.85 |
Cutting the number down
- The interesting number is the idle draw, because that is the one that runs 8,760 hours a year.
Questions
- How many watts does a smart speaker use?
- About 3 W while running.
- How much does a smart speaker cost per month?
- About 40.2¢ a month at the U.S. average rate, or $4.82 a year.
- Where is it cheapest to run?
- Nevada, at $3.45 a year, versus $13.85 in Hawaii — a spread of $10.41.