💻 Computers & Office
How Much Does a Computer Monitor Cost to Run?
At the current U.S. average rate of 18.3¢/kWh (July 2026), a computer monitor costs about $1.38 per month at typical usage — 8 hours/day.
Per hour
0.5¢
at 20–60 W
Per day
4.5¢
8 hours/day
Per month
$1.38
7.5 kWh
Per year
$16.57
91 kWh
A 24–27 inch LED monitor draws 20–40 watts; big ultrawides and bright HDR panels push 60+. Auto-sleep on idle matters more than size — a monitor glowing at a lock screen all night wastes more than your workday used.
Calculate it for your home
Per hour
0.5¢
Per day
4.4¢
Per month
$1.34
Per year
$16.03
Uses 7.3 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 | 0.4¢ | $0.96 | $11.50 |
| Nevada | 12.8 | 0.4¢ | $0.97 | $11.59 |
| Utah | 13.1 | 0.4¢ | $0.99 | $11.86 |
| North Dakota | 13.4 | 0.4¢ | $1.01 | $12.13 |
| Idaho | 13.7 | 0.4¢ | $1.03 | $12.40 |
| Tennessee | 13.7 | 0.4¢ | $1.03 | $12.40 |
| Kentucky | 13.8 | 0.4¢ | $1.04 | $12.49 |
| Nebraska | 13.8 | 0.4¢ | $1.04 | $12.49 |
| Arkansas | 14.3 | 0.4¢ | $1.08 | $12.94 |
| Oklahoma | 14.4 | 0.4¢ | $1.09 | $13.03 |
| Wyoming | 14.4 | 0.4¢ | $1.09 | $13.03 |
| Mississippi | 14.5 | 0.4¢ | $1.09 | $13.13 |
| Washington | 14.7 | 0.4¢ | $1.11 | $13.31 |
| Florida | 15.0 | 0.4¢ | $1.13 | $13.58 |
| Montana | 15.0 | 0.4¢ | $1.13 | $13.58 |
| North Carolina | 15.2 | 0.5¢ | $1.15 | $13.76 |
| Kansas | 15.3 | 0.5¢ | $1.15 | $13.85 |
| Arizona | 15.4 | 0.5¢ | $1.16 | $13.94 |
| South Dakota | 15.4 | 0.5¢ | $1.16 | $13.94 |
| South Carolina | 15.5 | 0.5¢ | $1.17 | $14.03 |
| West Virginia | 15.8 | 0.5¢ | $1.19 | $14.30 |
| Texas | 15.9 | 0.5¢ | $1.20 | $14.39 |
| Iowa | 16.0 | 0.5¢ | $1.21 | $14.48 |
| Oregon | 16.0 | 0.5¢ | $1.21 | $14.48 |
| Missouri | 16.1 | 0.5¢ | $1.21 | $14.57 |
| New Mexico | 16.1 | 0.5¢ | $1.21 | $14.57 |
| Georgia | 16.3 | 0.5¢ | $1.23 | $14.75 |
| Alabama | 16.4 | 0.5¢ | $1.24 | $14.85 |
| Indiana | 16.7 | 0.5¢ | $1.26 | $15.12 |
| Colorado | 17.0 | 0.5¢ | $1.28 | $15.39 |
| Minnesota | 17.5 | 0.5¢ | $1.32 | $15.84 |
| Virginia | 17.6 | 0.5¢ | $1.33 | $15.93 |
| Delaware | 18.5 | 0.6¢ | $1.39 | $16.75 |
| Wisconsin | 19.1 | 0.6¢ | $1.44 | $17.29 |
| Illinois | 19.2 | 0.6¢ | $1.45 | $17.38 |
| Ohio | 19.5 | 0.6¢ | $1.47 | $17.65 |
| Maryland | 21.4 | 0.6¢ | $1.61 | $19.37 |
| Pennsylvania | 21.7 | 0.7¢ | $1.64 | $19.64 |
| Michigan | 23.1 | 0.7¢ | $1.74 | $20.91 |
| Vermont | 23.8 | 0.7¢ | $1.79 | $21.54 |
| Connecticut | 24.2 | 0.7¢ | $1.82 | $21.91 |
| Washington, D.C. | 25.2 | 0.8¢ | $1.90 | $22.81 |
| New Jersey | 25.2 | 0.8¢ | $1.90 | $22.81 |
| New Hampshire | 26.6 | 0.8¢ | $2.01 | $24.08 |
| Rhode Island | 28.3 | 0.8¢ | $2.13 | $25.62 |
| Alaska | 28.8 | 0.9¢ | $2.17 | $26.07 |
| New York | 29.9 | 0.9¢ | $2.25 | $27.07 |
| Massachusetts | 30.5 | 0.9¢ | $2.30 | $27.61 |
| Maine | 32.4 | 1.0¢ | $2.44 | $29.33 |
| California | 33.6 | 1.0¢ | $2.53 | $30.41 |
| Hawaii | 48.0 | 1.4¢ | $3.62 | $43.45 |
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 computer monitor use?
A typical computer monitor draws about 30 watts in use. At 8 hours/day, that works out to roughly 0.2 kWh per day, or 7.5 kWh per month.
How much does it cost to run a computer monitor for 1 hour?
At the current U.S. average residential rate of 18.3¢/kWh, one hour costs about 0.5¢. In Louisiana (12.7¢/kWh) it's 0.4¢, while in Hawaii (48¢/kWh) it's 1.4¢.
How much does a computer monitor cost to run per month?
With typical usage (8 hours/day), expect about $1.38 per month at the U.S. average rate — from $0.96 in Louisiana up to $3.62 in Hawaii. Rates are as of July 2026.
Does a computer 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.