electronics · 50W typical
Running a laptop costs about $2.23/month.
That's the typical laptop at 50W, run 9 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 9 hours at 16.5¢/kWh.
How you use it
Cost shifts with how long it's on.
The same laptop can cost very different amounts depending on usage patterns. Three common scenarios, at the US-average rate.
work hours
$2.23
per month
daily office use
evening use
$0.74
per month
personal use
always-plugged standby
$5.94
per month
1-3W when closed but plugged in
Where you live
$4.04 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¢ | $5.56 | $67.67 |
| California | 31.4¢ | $4.24 | $51.57 |
| Massachusetts | 30.8¢ | $4.16 | $50.59 |
| Connecticut | 28.7¢ | $3.87 | $47.14 |
| Rhode Island | 27.9¢ | $3.77 | $45.83 |
| New Hampshire | 24.6¢ | $3.32 | $40.41 |
| Alaska | 24.3¢ | $3.28 | $39.91 |
| New York | 22.3¢ | $3.01 | $36.63 |
| Maine | 22.1¢ | $2.98 | $36.30 |
| Vermont | 21.5¢ | $2.90 | $35.31 |
| Michigan | 19.3¢ | $2.61 | $31.70 |
| New Jersey | 19.1¢ | $2.58 | $31.37 |
| Maryland | 18.4¢ | $2.48 | $30.22 |
| Pennsylvania | 18.1¢ | $2.44 | $29.73 |
| District of Columbia | 17.8¢ | $2.40 | $29.24 |
| Wisconsin | 17.4¢ | $2.35 | $28.58 |
| Delaware | 17.2¢ | $2.32 | $28.25 |
| Illinois | 16.9¢ | $2.28 | $27.76 |
| Ohio | 16.6¢ | $2.24 | $27.27 |
| Nevada | 16.3¢ | $2.20 | $26.77 |
| Indiana | 15.8¢ | $2.13 | $25.95 |
| Virginia | 15.7¢ | $2.12 | $25.79 |
| Minnesota | 15.6¢ | $2.11 | $25.62 |
| Colorado | 15.4¢ | $2.08 | $25.29 |
| Alabama | 15.2¢ | $2.05 | $24.97 |
| West Virginia | 15.2¢ | $2.05 | $24.97 |
| Florida | 15.1¢ | $2.04 | $24.80 |
| New Mexico | 14.8¢ | $2.00 | $24.31 |
| Texas | 14.8¢ | $2.00 | $24.31 |
| Arizona | 14.7¢ | $1.98 | $24.14 |
| South Carolina | 14.7¢ | $1.98 | $24.14 |
| Kansas | 14.6¢ | $1.97 | $23.98 |
| Georgia | 14.2¢ | $1.92 | $23.32 |
| Iowa | 14.1¢ | $1.90 | $23.16 |
| North Carolina | 13.9¢ | $1.88 | $22.83 |
| Missouri | 13.6¢ | $1.84 | $22.34 |
| Oregon | 13.4¢ | $1.81 | $22.01 |
| Tennessee | 13.3¢ | $1.80 | $21.85 |
| Kentucky | 13.2¢ | $1.78 | $21.68 |
| Mississippi | 13.1¢ | $1.77 | $21.52 |
| Oklahoma | 13.1¢ | $1.77 | $21.52 |
| South Dakota | 12.7¢ | $1.71 | $20.86 |
| Montana | 12.4¢ | $1.67 | $20.37 |
| Nebraska | 12.2¢ | $1.65 | $20.04 |
| Arkansas | 12.1¢ | $1.63 | $19.87 |
| Washington | 12.1¢ | $1.63 | $19.87 |
| Louisiana | 11.9¢ | $1.61 | $19.55 |
| Wyoming | 11.6¢ | $1.57 | $19.05 |
| North Dakota | 11.5¢ | $1.55 | $18.89 |
| Utah | 11.4¢ | $1.54 | $18.72 |
| Idaho | 11.3¢ | $1.53 | $18.56 |
Efficient vs. inefficient
A $67.75/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
75W
$3.34 per month
$40.65 per year
Typical
50W
$2.23 per month
$27.10 per year
High draw
200W
$8.91 per month
$108.41 per year
When it hits hardest
year-round peak
Steady daily use.
Ways to cut the cost
- 1
Unplug when fully charged — keeps battery healthy and saves standby watts
Saves 15-30 kWh/year
- 2
Use battery saver mode during non-critical work
Cuts watts 30-40%
- 3
Close laptop lid when done — sleep mode draws 1-2W vs 30-50W active
Huge idle savings
Real-world wattages
Pulled from actual spec sheets.
| Brand | Model | Watts |
|---|---|---|
| Apple | MacBook Air M2 | 20W |
| Dell | Latitude 7440 | 45W |
| Lenovo | ThinkPad X1 Carbon | 50W |
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.energystar.gov · www.energy.gov
Last updated: 2026-04-13