entertainment · 100W typical
Running a a/v receiver costs about $1.49/month.
That's the typical a/v receiver at 100W, run 3 hours a day at the US-average rate of 16.5¢/kWh. Change any of those and the number moves — use the calculator below to see yours.
Estimated cost
Full-power draw for 3 hours at 16.5¢/kWh.
How you use it
Cost shifts with how long it's on.
The same a/v receiver can cost very different amounts depending on usage patterns. Three common scenarios, at the US-average rate.
movie night
$1.49
per month
active home theater use
standby
$10.40
per month
network features keep receiver at 5-15W idle
Where you live
$2.69 spread between the cheapest and priciest states.
Same appliance, same hours of use, different zip code — the monthly cost varies this much.
| State | Rate | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | 41.2¢ | $3.71 | $45.11 |
| California | 31.4¢ | $2.83 | $34.38 |
| Massachusetts | 30.8¢ | $2.77 | $33.73 |
| Connecticut | 28.7¢ | $2.58 | $31.43 |
| Rhode Island | 27.9¢ | $2.51 | $30.55 |
| New Hampshire | 24.6¢ | $2.21 | $26.94 |
| Alaska | 24.3¢ | $2.19 | $26.61 |
| New York | 22.3¢ | $2.01 | $24.42 |
| Maine | 22.1¢ | $1.99 | $24.20 |
| Vermont | 21.5¢ | $1.94 | $23.54 |
| Michigan | 19.3¢ | $1.74 | $21.13 |
| New Jersey | 19.1¢ | $1.72 | $20.91 |
| Maryland | 18.4¢ | $1.66 | $20.15 |
| Pennsylvania | 18.1¢ | $1.63 | $19.82 |
| District of Columbia | 17.8¢ | $1.60 | $19.49 |
| Wisconsin | 17.4¢ | $1.57 | $19.05 |
| Delaware | 17.2¢ | $1.55 | $18.83 |
| Illinois | 16.9¢ | $1.52 | $18.51 |
| Ohio | 16.6¢ | $1.49 | $18.18 |
| Nevada | 16.3¢ | $1.47 | $17.85 |
| Indiana | 15.8¢ | $1.42 | $17.30 |
| Virginia | 15.7¢ | $1.41 | $17.19 |
| Minnesota | 15.6¢ | $1.40 | $17.08 |
| Colorado | 15.4¢ | $1.39 | $16.86 |
| Alabama | 15.2¢ | $1.37 | $16.64 |
| West Virginia | 15.2¢ | $1.37 | $16.64 |
| Florida | 15.1¢ | $1.36 | $16.53 |
| New Mexico | 14.8¢ | $1.33 | $16.21 |
| Texas | 14.8¢ | $1.33 | $16.21 |
| Arizona | 14.7¢ | $1.32 | $16.10 |
| South Carolina | 14.7¢ | $1.32 | $16.10 |
| Kansas | 14.6¢ | $1.31 | $15.99 |
| Georgia | 14.2¢ | $1.28 | $15.55 |
| Iowa | 14.1¢ | $1.27 | $15.44 |
| North Carolina | 13.9¢ | $1.25 | $15.22 |
| Missouri | 13.6¢ | $1.22 | $14.89 |
| Oregon | 13.4¢ | $1.21 | $14.67 |
| Tennessee | 13.3¢ | $1.20 | $14.56 |
| Kentucky | 13.2¢ | $1.19 | $14.45 |
| Mississippi | 13.1¢ | $1.18 | $14.34 |
| Oklahoma | 13.1¢ | $1.18 | $14.34 |
| South Dakota | 12.7¢ | $1.14 | $13.91 |
| Montana | 12.4¢ | $1.12 | $13.58 |
| Nebraska | 12.2¢ | $1.10 | $13.36 |
| Arkansas | 12.1¢ | $1.09 | $13.25 |
| Washington | 12.1¢ | $1.09 | $13.25 |
| Louisiana | 11.9¢ | $1.07 | $13.03 |
| Wyoming | 11.6¢ | $1.04 | $12.70 |
| North Dakota | 11.5¢ | $1.04 | $12.59 |
| Utah | 11.4¢ | $1.03 | $12.48 |
| Idaho | 11.3¢ | $1.02 | $12.37 |
Efficient vs. inefficient
A $63.24/year difference across the wattage range.
Swapping a high-draw model for an efficient one pays for itself. Here's what that looks like annually at typical usage.
Most efficient
50W
$0.74 per month
$9.03 per year
Typical
100W
$1.49 per month
$18.07 per year
High draw
400W
$5.94 per month
$72.27 per year
When it hits hardest
year-round peak
Steady use.
Ways to cut the cost
- 1
Enable ECO mode in settings
Cuts idle draw 40-50%
- 2
Kill standby with smart plug (5-15W × 20 hours)
Saves 40-100 kWh/year
- 3
Disable auto-power-on features that wake receiver unnecessarily
Reduces phantom wake cycles
Real-world wattages
Pulled from actual spec sheets.
| Brand | Model | Watts |
|---|---|---|
| Denon | AVR-S760H | 130W |
| Yamaha | RX-V6A | 260W |
| Onkyo | TX-NR696 | 210W |
Picks that actually move the needle
Three products worth comparing if you're thinking about upgrading or supplementing what you have.
Some links below are affiliate links. If you buy, we may earn a small commission — it never changes the price you pay, and we only recommend picks we would stand behind.
See also
Related appliances
Sources: www.energy.gov · www.energystar.gov
Last updated: 2026-04-13