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How much does it cost to run a laptop?
At the U.S. average residential price of 18.16¢ per kilowatt-hour (August 2026), running a laptop costs about $21.79 a year. Your own bill depends on your state's rate, which ranges from 12.72¢ to 47.18¢ across the country.
- Per hour
- 1.1¢
- Per day of use
- 8.7¢
- Per month
- $1.82
- Per year
- $21.79
Assumption: 60 W, 8 hours a day, 250 days a year — 120 kWh a year. Charging and working. Once the battery is full, draw drops toward 20 to 30 W for light work.
Cost by state
Same appliance, same usage, 51 different prices. Sorted cheapest first.
| State | Rate | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nevada | 12.72¢ | $1.27 | $15.26 |
| Louisiana | 12.87¢ | $1.29 | $15.44 |
| North Dakota | 13.31¢ | $1.33 | $15.97 |
| Utah | 13.31¢ | $1.33 | $15.97 |
| Idaho | 13.37¢ | $1.34 | $16.04 |
| Tennessee | 13.42¢ | $1.34 | $16.10 |
| Nebraska | 13.54¢ | $1.35 | $16.25 |
| Kentucky | 13.80¢ | $1.38 | $16.56 |
| Arkansas | 14.37¢ | $1.44 | $17.24 |
| Mississippi | 14.43¢ | $1.44 | $17.32 |
| Wyoming | 14.43¢ | $1.44 | $17.32 |
| Washington | 14.63¢ | $1.46 | $17.56 |
| Oklahoma | 14.82¢ | $1.48 | $17.78 |
| North Carolina | 14.95¢ | $1.49 | $17.94 |
| Florida | 14.99¢ | $1.50 | $17.99 |
| Arizona | 15.05¢ | $1.50 | $18.06 |
| South Dakota | 15.15¢ | $1.51 | $18.18 |
| Kansas | 15.47¢ | $1.55 | $18.56 |
| Montana | 15.57¢ | $1.56 | $18.68 |
| South Carolina | 15.76¢ | $1.58 | $18.91 |
| Georgia | 15.90¢ | $1.59 | $19.08 |
| Texas | 15.91¢ | $1.59 | $19.09 |
| Oregon | 15.92¢ | $1.59 | $19.10 |
| Missouri | 16.02¢ | $1.60 | $19.22 |
| West Virginia | 16.31¢ | $1.63 | $19.57 |
| Alabama | 16.33¢ | $1.63 | $19.60 |
| New Mexico | 16.51¢ | $1.65 | $19.81 |
| Indiana | 17.02¢ | $1.70 | $20.42 |
| Iowa | 17.06¢ | $1.71 | $20.47 |
| Colorado | 17.17¢ | $1.72 | $20.60 |
| Minnesota | 17.20¢ | $1.72 | $20.64 |
| Virginia | 17.64¢ | $1.76 | $21.17 |
| Delaware | 18.70¢ | $1.87 | $22.44 |
| Illinois | 19.32¢ | $1.93 | $23.18 |
| Ohio | 19.38¢ | $1.94 | $23.26 |
| Wisconsin | 19.41¢ | $1.94 | $23.29 |
| Maryland | 21.40¢ | $2.14 | $25.68 |
| Pennsylvania | 21.77¢ | $2.18 | $26.12 |
| Michigan | 22.99¢ | $2.30 | $27.59 |
| Vermont | 23.84¢ | $2.38 | $28.61 |
| Connecticut | 24.51¢ | $2.45 | $29.41 |
| New Jersey | 24.61¢ | $2.46 | $29.53 |
| District of Columbia | 25.98¢ | $2.60 | $31.18 |
| New Hampshire | 27.64¢ | $2.76 | $33.17 |
| Rhode Island | 28.18¢ | $2.82 | $33.82 |
| New York | 28.65¢ | $2.86 | $34.38 |
| Alaska | 29.41¢ | $2.94 | $35.29 |
| California | 29.75¢ | $2.97 | $35.70 |
| Massachusetts | 30.48¢ | $3.05 | $36.58 |
| Maine | 32.11¢ | $3.21 | $38.53 |
| Hawaii | 47.18¢ | $4.72 | $56.62 |
Cutting the number down
- A laptop typically uses a fifth to a tenth of what a comparable desktop does for ordinary work.
- The charger left plugged in with no laptop attached draws almost nothing on modern units.
Questions
- How many watts does a laptop use?
- About 60 W while running.
- How much does a laptop cost per month?
- About $1.82 a month at the U.S. average rate, or $21.79 a year.
- Where is it cheapest to run?
- Nevada, at $15.26 a year, versus $56.62 in Hawaii — a spread of $41.35.