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How Much Does It Cost to Run a Exercise Bike or Smart Trainer in California? (2026)

Most exercise bikes use almost nothing. Magnetic resistance and the display draw a few watts; bikes with large touchscreens and smart trainers draw 30 to 100 watts while streaming a class.

A typical exercise bike or smart trainer (30 W) costs $0.010 per hour, or about $0.24 per month at 0.75 hours a day in California. Cheap to run

Electricity price region Hours used per day

Wattage	Per hour	Per day	Per month	Per year
Low (5 W)	$0.002	$0.001	$0.039	$0.48
Typical (30 W)	$0.010	$0.008	$0.24	$2.87
High (100 W)	$0.035	$0.026	$0.79	$9.58

Formula: watts ÷ 1000 × hours × price per kWh. Typical use is 0.75 h/day ≈ 8 kWh per year.

In California, with electricity at $0.35 per kWh (source: EIA Table 5.6.A, 2026-06), a typical exercise bike or smart trainer costs $0.010 per hour and about $2.87 per year at 0.75 hours a day. That is about 94% more than the US national average of $0.12 per month, because electricity in California costs $0.35 per kWh against $0.18 nationally. Each $1.00 of electricity buys roughly 95.2 hours of use.

How to lower the cost of running a exercise bike or smart trainer

Turn off the screen when not in use. The display is the main consumer.
Use a tablet instead of a built-in screen on trainers that allow it.
Nothing else matters here. The bike costs pennies to run.

In standby it draws about 2 W, which adds roughly 18 kWh ($6.13) per year if it is never unplugged.

Frequently asked questions

How much electricity does an exercise bike use?

Under 0.1 kWh per session for most bikes, a bit more with a big screen.

Does a Peloton use a lot of electricity?

Around 30 to 60 watts during a class, so a 45 minute ride is under 0.05 kWh.

Do exercise bikes use power when off?

Smart models draw 1 to 3 watts in standby.

Cost by region

Related appliances

Use the generic electricity cost calculator →