entertainment · 250W typical
Running a home theater projector costs about $3.71/month.
That's the typical home theater projector at 250W, 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 home theater projector can cost very different amounts depending on usage patterns. Three common scenarios, at the US-average rate.
movie night
$3.71
per month
active watching
weekend only
$1.24
per month
averaged across week
Where you live
$6.73 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¢ | $9.27 | $112.79 |
| California | 31.4¢ | $7.06 | $85.96 |
| Massachusetts | 30.8¢ | $6.93 | $84.32 |
| Connecticut | 28.7¢ | $6.46 | $78.57 |
| Rhode Island | 27.9¢ | $6.28 | $76.38 |
| New Hampshire | 24.6¢ | $5.54 | $67.34 |
| Alaska | 24.3¢ | $5.47 | $66.52 |
| New York | 22.3¢ | $5.02 | $61.05 |
| Maine | 22.1¢ | $4.97 | $60.50 |
| Vermont | 21.5¢ | $4.84 | $58.86 |
| Michigan | 19.3¢ | $4.34 | $52.83 |
| New Jersey | 19.1¢ | $4.30 | $52.29 |
| Maryland | 18.4¢ | $4.14 | $50.37 |
| Pennsylvania | 18.1¢ | $4.07 | $49.55 |
| District of Columbia | 17.8¢ | $4.01 | $48.73 |
| Wisconsin | 17.4¢ | $3.92 | $47.63 |
| Delaware | 17.2¢ | $3.87 | $47.09 |
| Illinois | 16.9¢ | $3.80 | $46.26 |
| Ohio | 16.6¢ | $3.74 | $45.44 |
| Nevada | 16.3¢ | $3.67 | $44.62 |
| Indiana | 15.8¢ | $3.55 | $43.25 |
| Virginia | 15.7¢ | $3.53 | $42.98 |
| Minnesota | 15.6¢ | $3.51 | $42.71 |
| Colorado | 15.4¢ | $3.47 | $42.16 |
| Alabama | 15.2¢ | $3.42 | $41.61 |
| West Virginia | 15.2¢ | $3.42 | $41.61 |
| Florida | 15.1¢ | $3.40 | $41.34 |
| New Mexico | 14.8¢ | $3.33 | $40.52 |
| Texas | 14.8¢ | $3.33 | $40.52 |
| Arizona | 14.7¢ | $3.31 | $40.24 |
| South Carolina | 14.7¢ | $3.31 | $40.24 |
| Kansas | 14.6¢ | $3.28 | $39.97 |
| Georgia | 14.2¢ | $3.19 | $38.87 |
| Iowa | 14.1¢ | $3.17 | $38.60 |
| North Carolina | 13.9¢ | $3.13 | $38.05 |
| Missouri | 13.6¢ | $3.06 | $37.23 |
| Oregon | 13.4¢ | $3.02 | $36.68 |
| Tennessee | 13.3¢ | $2.99 | $36.41 |
| Kentucky | 13.2¢ | $2.97 | $36.14 |
| Mississippi | 13.1¢ | $2.95 | $35.86 |
| Oklahoma | 13.1¢ | $2.95 | $35.86 |
| South Dakota | 12.7¢ | $2.86 | $34.77 |
| Montana | 12.4¢ | $2.79 | $33.95 |
| Nebraska | 12.2¢ | $2.75 | $33.40 |
| Arkansas | 12.1¢ | $2.72 | $33.12 |
| Washington | 12.1¢ | $2.72 | $33.12 |
| Louisiana | 11.9¢ | $2.68 | $32.58 |
| Wyoming | 11.6¢ | $2.61 | $31.76 |
| North Dakota | 11.5¢ | $2.59 | $31.48 |
| Utah | 11.4¢ | $2.57 | $31.21 |
| Idaho | 11.3¢ | $2.54 | $30.93 |
Efficient vs. inefficient
A $54.20/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
150W
$2.23 per month
$27.10 per year
Typical
250W
$3.71 per month
$45.17 per year
High draw
450W
$6.68 per month
$81.30 per year
When it hits hardest
winter peak
Heavier winter movie use.
Ways to cut the cost
- 1
Use Eco or low-lamp mode
Cuts watts 20-40%
- 2
Upgrade to LED or laser projector — uses half the watts of lamp models
Saves 100-200 kWh/year for regular use
- 3
Turn off immediately — fan cool-down is normal but don't unplug mid-cycle
Preserves lamp life at spec efficiency
Real-world wattages
Pulled from actual spec sheets.
| Brand | Model | Watts |
|---|---|---|
| Epson | Home Cinema 2250 | 280W |
| BenQ | HT2050A | 320W |
| LG | CineBeam HU70LA | 170W |
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