💻 Computers & Office
How Much Does a Baby Monitor Cost to Run?
At the current U.S. average rate of 18.3¢/kWh (July 2026), a baby monitor costs about $0.28 per month at typical usage — 10 hours/day.
Per hour
0.1¢
at 3–10 W
Per day
0.9¢
10 hours/day
Per month
$0.28
1.5 kWh
Per year
$3.34
18 kWh
Camera-based baby monitors draw 3–10 watts across the camera and parent unit. Overnight use every night still totals under a dollar a month nearly everywhere.
Calculate it for your home
Per hour
0.1¢
Per day
0.9¢
Per month
$0.28
Per year
$3.34
Uses 1.5 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 hour | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | 12.7 | 0.1¢ | $0.19 | $2.32 |
| Nevada | 12.8 | 0.1¢ | $0.19 | $2.34 |
| Utah | 13.1 | 0.1¢ | $0.20 | $2.39 |
| North Dakota | 13.4 | 0.1¢ | $0.20 | $2.45 |
| Idaho | 13.7 | 0.1¢ | $0.21 | $2.50 |
| Tennessee | 13.7 | 0.1¢ | $0.21 | $2.50 |
| Kentucky | 13.8 | 0.1¢ | $0.21 | $2.52 |
| Nebraska | 13.8 | 0.1¢ | $0.21 | $2.52 |
| Arkansas | 14.3 | 0.1¢ | $0.22 | $2.61 |
| Oklahoma | 14.4 | 0.1¢ | $0.22 | $2.63 |
| Wyoming | 14.4 | 0.1¢ | $0.22 | $2.63 |
| Mississippi | 14.5 | 0.1¢ | $0.22 | $2.65 |
| Washington | 14.7 | 0.1¢ | $0.22 | $2.68 |
| Florida | 15.0 | 0.1¢ | $0.23 | $2.74 |
| Montana | 15.0 | 0.1¢ | $0.23 | $2.74 |
| North Carolina | 15.2 | 0.1¢ | $0.23 | $2.77 |
| Kansas | 15.3 | 0.1¢ | $0.23 | $2.79 |
| Arizona | 15.4 | 0.1¢ | $0.23 | $2.81 |
| South Dakota | 15.4 | 0.1¢ | $0.23 | $2.81 |
| South Carolina | 15.5 | 0.1¢ | $0.24 | $2.83 |
| West Virginia | 15.8 | 0.1¢ | $0.24 | $2.88 |
| Texas | 15.9 | 0.1¢ | $0.24 | $2.90 |
| Iowa | 16.0 | 0.1¢ | $0.24 | $2.92 |
| Oregon | 16.0 | 0.1¢ | $0.24 | $2.92 |
| Missouri | 16.1 | 0.1¢ | $0.24 | $2.94 |
| New Mexico | 16.1 | 0.1¢ | $0.24 | $2.94 |
| Georgia | 16.3 | 0.1¢ | $0.25 | $2.97 |
| Alabama | 16.4 | 0.1¢ | $0.25 | $2.99 |
| Indiana | 16.7 | 0.1¢ | $0.25 | $3.05 |
| Colorado | 17.0 | 0.1¢ | $0.26 | $3.10 |
| Minnesota | 17.5 | 0.1¢ | $0.27 | $3.19 |
| Virginia | 17.6 | 0.1¢ | $0.27 | $3.21 |
| Delaware | 18.5 | 0.1¢ | $0.28 | $3.38 |
| Wisconsin | 19.1 | 0.1¢ | $0.29 | $3.49 |
| Illinois | 19.2 | 0.1¢ | $0.29 | $3.50 |
| Ohio | 19.5 | 0.1¢ | $0.30 | $3.56 |
| Maryland | 21.4 | 0.1¢ | $0.33 | $3.91 |
| Pennsylvania | 21.7 | 0.1¢ | $0.33 | $3.96 |
| Michigan | 23.1 | 0.1¢ | $0.35 | $4.22 |
| Vermont | 23.8 | 0.1¢ | $0.36 | $4.34 |
| Connecticut | 24.2 | 0.1¢ | $0.37 | $4.42 |
| Washington, D.C. | 25.2 | 0.1¢ | $0.38 | $4.60 |
| New Jersey | 25.2 | 0.1¢ | $0.38 | $4.60 |
| New Hampshire | 26.6 | 0.1¢ | $0.40 | $4.85 |
| Rhode Island | 28.3 | 0.1¢ | $0.43 | $5.16 |
| Alaska | 28.8 | 0.1¢ | $0.44 | $5.26 |
| New York | 29.9 | 0.1¢ | $0.45 | $5.46 |
| Massachusetts | 30.5 | 0.2¢ | $0.46 | $5.57 |
| Maine | 32.4 | 0.2¢ | $0.49 | $5.91 |
| California | 33.6 | 0.2¢ | $0.51 | $6.13 |
| Hawaii | 48.0 | 0.2¢ | $0.73 | $8.76 |
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 baby monitor use?
A typical baby monitor draws about 5 watts in use. At 10 hours/day, that works out to roughly 0.1 kWh per day, or 1.5 kWh per month.
How much does it cost to run a baby monitor for 1 hour?
At the current U.S. average residential rate of 18.3¢/kWh, one hour costs about 0.1¢. In Louisiana (12.7¢/kWh) it's 0.1¢, while in Hawaii (48¢/kWh) it's 0.2¢.
How much does a baby monitor cost to run per month?
With typical usage (10 hours/day), expect about $0.28 per month at the U.S. average rate — from $0.19 in Louisiana up to $0.73 in Hawaii. Rates are as of July 2026.
Does a baby monitor 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.