💻 Computers & Office
How Much Does a Baby Monitor Cost to Run?
At the current U.S. average rate of 18.4¢/kWh (May 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
$3.36
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
$3.36
Uses 1.5 kWh/month at 18.4¢ 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Idaho | 12.4 | 0.1¢ | $0.19 | $2.26 |
| Utah | 13.0 | 0.1¢ | $0.20 | $2.37 |
| Oklahoma | 13.4 | 0.1¢ | $0.20 | $2.45 |
| Nebraska | 13.6 | 0.1¢ | $0.21 | $2.48 |
| Nevada | 13.6 | 0.1¢ | $0.21 | $2.48 |
| North Dakota | 13.6 | 0.1¢ | $0.21 | $2.48 |
| Missouri | 13.7 | 0.1¢ | $0.21 | $2.50 |
| Iowa | 14.1 | 0.1¢ | $0.21 | $2.57 |
| New Mexico | 14.1 | 0.1¢ | $0.21 | $2.57 |
| Louisiana | 14.2 | 0.1¢ | $0.22 | $2.59 |
| Arkansas | 14.4 | 0.1¢ | $0.22 | $2.63 |
| Tennessee | 14.5 | 0.1¢ | $0.22 | $2.65 |
| Montana | 14.7 | 0.1¢ | $0.22 | $2.68 |
| Wyoming | 14.8 | 0.1¢ | $0.22 | $2.70 |
| Kentucky | 15.0 | 0.1¢ | $0.23 | $2.74 |
| Washington | 15.0 | 0.1¢ | $0.23 | $2.74 |
| Kansas | 15.1 | 0.1¢ | $0.23 | $2.76 |
| North Carolina | 15.1 | 0.1¢ | $0.23 | $2.76 |
| Arizona | 15.2 | 0.1¢ | $0.23 | $2.77 |
| Florida | 15.2 | 0.1¢ | $0.23 | $2.77 |
| South Dakota | 15.7 | 0.1¢ | $0.24 | $2.87 |
| Georgia | 15.8 | 0.1¢ | $0.24 | $2.88 |
| Colorado | 16.2 | 0.1¢ | $0.25 | $2.96 |
| Mississippi | 16.2 | 0.1¢ | $0.25 | $2.96 |
| South Carolina | 16.2 | 0.1¢ | $0.25 | $2.96 |
| Oregon | 16.3 | 0.1¢ | $0.25 | $2.97 |
| Texas | 16.4 | 0.1¢ | $0.25 | $2.99 |
| Alabama | 16.8 | 0.1¢ | $0.26 | $3.07 |
| West Virginia | 16.8 | 0.1¢ | $0.26 | $3.07 |
| Minnesota | 17.0 | 0.1¢ | $0.26 | $3.10 |
| Virginia | 17.6 | 0.1¢ | $0.27 | $3.21 |
| Indiana | 18.2 | 0.1¢ | $0.28 | $3.32 |
| Delaware | 19.4 | 0.1¢ | $0.29 | $3.54 |
| Ohio | 19.5 | 0.1¢ | $0.30 | $3.56 |
| Wisconsin | 19.7 | 0.1¢ | $0.30 | $3.60 |
| Pennsylvania | 21.6 | 0.1¢ | $0.33 | $3.94 |
| Maryland | 21.8 | 0.1¢ | $0.33 | $3.98 |
| Michigan | 22.0 | 0.1¢ | $0.33 | $4.01 |
| New Jersey | 23.3 | 0.1¢ | $0.35 | $4.25 |
| Illinois | 23.9 | 0.1¢ | $0.36 | $4.36 |
| Vermont | 24.9 | 0.1¢ | $0.38 | $4.54 |
| Washington, D.C. | 25.4 | 0.1¢ | $0.39 | $4.64 |
| New Hampshire | 27.3 | 0.1¢ | $0.41 | $4.98 |
| Connecticut | 27.4 | 0.1¢ | $0.42 | $5.00 |
| Alaska | 28.2 | 0.1¢ | $0.43 | $5.15 |
| Maine | 28.6 | 0.1¢ | $0.43 | $5.22 |
| Massachusetts | 28.8 | 0.1¢ | $0.44 | $5.26 |
| Rhode Island | 29.5 | 0.1¢ | $0.45 | $5.38 |
| New York | 29.9 | 0.1¢ | $0.45 | $5.46 |
| California | 33.3 | 0.2¢ | $0.51 | $6.08 |
| Hawaii | 52.0 | 0.3¢ | $0.79 | $9.49 |
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 18.4¢/kWh, one hour costs about 0.1¢. In Idaho (12.4¢/kWh) it's 0.1¢, while in Hawaii (52¢/kWh) it's 0.3¢.
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 Idaho up to $0.79 in Hawaii. Rates are as of May 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.