💻 Computers & Office
How Much Does a 3D Printer Cost to Run?
At the current U.S. average rate of 18.3¢/kWh (July 2026), a 3d printer costs about $1.43 per month at typical usage — 3 uses/week at 0.6 kWh each.
Per use
$0.11
0.6 kWh per use
Per day
4.7¢
3 uses/week at 0.6 kWh each
Per month
$1.43
7.8 kWh
Per year
$17.18
94 kWh
A consumer FDM printer averages 50–150 watts once the bed is heated, so a typical multi-hour print uses roughly half a kilowatt-hour. Even heavy hobby printing usually costs less per month than a single spool of filament.
Calculate it for your home
Per use
$0.11
Per day
4.7¢
Per month
$1.43
Per year
$17.18
Uses 7.8 kWh/month at 18.3¢ per kWh.
Cheapest and most expensive states
Monthly cost at typical usage, using each state's current average residential rate.
Cost in every state
| State | Rate (¢/kWh) | Per use | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | 12.7 | 7.6¢ | $0.99 | $11.92 |
| Nevada | 12.8 | 7.7¢ | $1.00 | $12.01 |
| Utah | 13.1 | 7.9¢ | $1.02 | $12.30 |
| North Dakota | 13.4 | 8.0¢ | $1.05 | $12.58 |
| Idaho | 13.7 | 8.2¢ | $1.07 | $12.86 |
| Tennessee | 13.7 | 8.2¢ | $1.07 | $12.86 |
| Kentucky | 13.8 | 8.3¢ | $1.08 | $12.95 |
| Nebraska | 13.8 | 8.3¢ | $1.08 | $12.95 |
| Arkansas | 14.3 | 8.6¢ | $1.12 | $13.42 |
| Oklahoma | 14.4 | 8.6¢ | $1.13 | $13.52 |
| Wyoming | 14.4 | 8.6¢ | $1.13 | $13.52 |
| Mississippi | 14.5 | 8.7¢ | $1.13 | $13.61 |
| Washington | 14.7 | 8.8¢ | $1.15 | $13.80 |
| Florida | 15.0 | 9.0¢ | $1.17 | $14.08 |
| Montana | 15.0 | 9.0¢ | $1.17 | $14.08 |
| North Carolina | 15.2 | 9.1¢ | $1.19 | $14.27 |
| Kansas | 15.3 | 9.2¢ | $1.20 | $14.36 |
| Arizona | 15.4 | 9.2¢ | $1.20 | $14.45 |
| South Dakota | 15.4 | 9.2¢ | $1.20 | $14.45 |
| South Carolina | 15.5 | 9.3¢ | $1.21 | $14.55 |
| West Virginia | 15.8 | 9.5¢ | $1.24 | $14.83 |
| Texas | 15.9 | $0.10 | $1.24 | $14.92 |
| Iowa | 16.0 | $0.10 | $1.25 | $15.02 |
| Oregon | 16.0 | $0.10 | $1.25 | $15.02 |
| Missouri | 16.1 | $0.10 | $1.26 | $15.11 |
| New Mexico | 16.1 | $0.10 | $1.26 | $15.11 |
| Georgia | 16.3 | $0.10 | $1.27 | $15.30 |
| Alabama | 16.4 | $0.10 | $1.28 | $15.39 |
| Indiana | 16.7 | $0.10 | $1.31 | $15.67 |
| Colorado | 17.0 | $0.10 | $1.33 | $15.96 |
| Minnesota | 17.5 | $0.10 | $1.37 | $16.42 |
| Virginia | 17.6 | $0.11 | $1.38 | $16.52 |
| Delaware | 18.5 | $0.11 | $1.45 | $17.36 |
| Wisconsin | 19.1 | $0.11 | $1.49 | $17.93 |
| Illinois | 19.2 | $0.12 | $1.50 | $18.02 |
| Ohio | 19.5 | $0.12 | $1.52 | $18.30 |
| Maryland | 21.4 | $0.13 | $1.67 | $20.09 |
| Pennsylvania | 21.7 | $0.13 | $1.70 | $20.37 |
| Michigan | 23.1 | $0.14 | $1.81 | $21.68 |
| Vermont | 23.8 | $0.14 | $1.86 | $22.34 |
| Connecticut | 24.2 | $0.15 | $1.89 | $22.71 |
| Washington, D.C. | 25.2 | $0.15 | $1.97 | $23.65 |
| New Jersey | 25.2 | $0.15 | $1.97 | $23.65 |
| New Hampshire | 26.6 | $0.16 | $2.08 | $24.97 |
| Rhode Island | 28.3 | $0.17 | $2.21 | $26.56 |
| Alaska | 28.8 | $0.17 | $2.25 | $27.03 |
| New York | 29.9 | $0.18 | $2.34 | $28.06 |
| Massachusetts | 30.5 | $0.18 | $2.38 | $28.63 |
| Maine | 32.4 | $0.19 | $2.53 | $30.41 |
| California | 33.6 | $0.20 | $2.63 | $31.54 |
| Hawaii | 48.0 | $0.29 | $3.75 | $45.05 |
How to lower the cost
- Enable sleep after 15–20 minutes of idle — modern machines wake in seconds.
- Anything always-on (servers, mining, chargers on strips) deserves a smart plug and a schedule.
- Laptops do the same office work as desktops on a quarter of the power.
Frequently asked questions
How much electricity does a 3d printer use?
A typical 3d printer uses about 0.6 kWh per use. At 3 uses per week, that's roughly 7.8 kWh per month.
How much does one use of a 3d printer cost?
At the current U.S. average rate of 18.3¢/kWh, each use costs about $0.11. That ranges from 7.6¢ in Louisiana to $0.29 in Hawaii.
How much does a 3d printer cost to run per month?
With typical usage (3 uses/week at 0.6 kWh each), expect about $1.43 per month at the U.S. average rate — from $0.99 in Louisiana up to $3.75 in Hawaii. Rates are as of July 2026.
Does a 3d printer use a lot of electricity?
Not really — at typical usage it's under 1% of an average home's monthly consumption. Heating, cooling, hot water, and drying are the loads that move bills.