💻 Computers & Office
How Much Does a Laptop Cost to Run?
At the current U.S. average rate of 18.8¢/kWh (April 2026), a laptop costs about $2.06 per month at typical usage — 6 hours/day.
Per hour
1.1¢
at 30–100 W
Per day
6.8¢
6 hours/day
Per month
$2.06
11 kWh
Per year
$24.70
131 kWh
Laptops are dramatically cheaper to run than desktops, averaging 30–60 watts in use. A full workday of laptop computing costs a few cents — for most people the monitor plugged into it uses a comparable amount.
Calculate it for your home
Per hour
1.1¢
Per day
6.8¢
Per month
$2.06
Per year
$24.70
Uses 11 kWh/month at 18.8¢ 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Dakota | 12.4 | 0.7¢ | $1.36 | $16.29 |
| Idaho | 12.7 | 0.8¢ | $1.39 | $16.69 |
| Nebraska | 13.3 | 0.8¢ | $1.46 | $17.48 |
| Oklahoma | 13.3 | 0.8¢ | $1.46 | $17.48 |
| Utah | 13.3 | 0.8¢ | $1.46 | $17.48 |
| Iowa | 13.9 | 0.8¢ | $1.52 | $18.26 |
| Montana | 13.9 | 0.8¢ | $1.52 | $18.26 |
| Missouri | 14.0 | 0.8¢ | $1.53 | $18.40 |
| Arkansas | 14.2 | 0.9¢ | $1.55 | $18.66 |
| Nevada | 14.3 | 0.9¢ | $1.56 | $18.79 |
| Louisiana | 14.4 | 0.9¢ | $1.58 | $18.92 |
| Washington | 14.4 | 0.9¢ | $1.58 | $18.92 |
| South Dakota | 14.5 | 0.9¢ | $1.59 | $19.05 |
| Wyoming | 14.7 | 0.9¢ | $1.61 | $19.32 |
| Tennessee | 14.9 | 0.9¢ | $1.63 | $19.58 |
| Kentucky | 15.0 | 0.9¢ | $1.64 | $19.71 |
| New Mexico | 15.2 | 0.9¢ | $1.66 | $19.97 |
| Florida | 15.4 | 0.9¢ | $1.69 | $20.24 |
| Georgia | 15.4 | 0.9¢ | $1.69 | $20.24 |
| Arizona | 15.5 | 0.9¢ | $1.70 | $20.37 |
| Kansas | 15.8 | 0.9¢ | $1.73 | $20.76 |
| Oregon | 15.8 | 0.9¢ | $1.73 | $20.76 |
| West Virginia | 16.1 | 1.0¢ | $1.76 | $21.16 |
| North Carolina | 16.3 | 1.0¢ | $1.78 | $21.42 |
| Minnesota | 16.4 | 1.0¢ | $1.79 | $21.55 |
| Colorado | 16.5 | 1.0¢ | $1.81 | $21.68 |
| Mississippi | 16.8 | 1.0¢ | $1.84 | $22.08 |
| Texas | 17.0 | 1.0¢ | $1.86 | $22.34 |
| South Carolina | 17.1 | 1.0¢ | $1.87 | $22.47 |
| Alabama | 17.4 | 1.0¢ | $1.90 | $22.86 |
| Virginia | 17.4 | 1.0¢ | $1.90 | $22.86 |
| Indiana | 17.9 | 1.1¢ | $1.96 | $23.52 |
| Delaware | 18.8 | 1.1¢ | $2.06 | $24.70 |
| Wisconsin | 19.2 | 1.2¢ | $2.10 | $25.23 |
| Ohio | 19.5 | 1.2¢ | $2.13 | $25.62 |
| Illinois | 20.5 | 1.2¢ | $2.24 | $26.94 |
| Michigan | 21.4 | 1.3¢ | $2.34 | $28.12 |
| Pennsylvania | 21.5 | 1.3¢ | $2.35 | $28.25 |
| Maryland | 22.1 | 1.3¢ | $2.42 | $29.04 |
| New Jersey | 23.5 | 1.4¢ | $2.57 | $30.88 |
| Vermont | 24.6 | 1.5¢ | $2.69 | $32.32 |
| Washington, D.C. | 25.4 | 1.5¢ | $2.78 | $33.38 |
| New Hampshire | 27.2 | 1.6¢ | $2.98 | $35.74 |
| Alaska | 27.4 | 1.6¢ | $3.00 | $36.00 |
| Rhode Island | 28.3 | 1.7¢ | $3.10 | $37.19 |
| Maine | 28.4 | 1.7¢ | $3.11 | $37.32 |
| Massachusetts | 29.5 | 1.8¢ | $3.23 | $38.76 |
| New York | 29.5 | 1.8¢ | $3.23 | $38.76 |
| Connecticut | 32.2 | 1.9¢ | $3.52 | $42.31 |
| California | 35.3 | 2.1¢ | $3.86 | $46.38 |
| Hawaii | 46.6 | 2.8¢ | $5.10 | $61.23 |
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 laptop use?
A typical laptop draws about 60 watts in use. At 6 hours/day, that works out to roughly 0.4 kWh per day, or 11 kWh per month.
How much does it cost to run a laptop for 1 hour?
At the current U.S. average residential rate of 18.8¢/kWh, one hour costs about 1.1¢. In North Dakota (12.4¢/kWh) it's 0.7¢, while in Hawaii (46.6¢/kWh) it's 2.8¢.
How much does a laptop cost to run per month?
With typical usage (6 hours/day), expect about $2.06 per month at the U.S. average rate — from $1.36 in North Dakota up to $5.10 in Hawaii. Rates are as of April 2026.
Does a laptop 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.