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How Much Does It Cost to Run a Laptop in California? (2026)
Laptops are among the cheapest devices to run. A thin ultrabook averages about 20 watts, a mainstream 15 inch model around 45 watts, and a gaming laptop can reach 90 watts or more when plugged in.
A typical laptop (45 W) costs $0.016 per hour, or about $3.78 per month at 8 hours a day in California. Cheap to run
| Wattage | Per hour | Per day | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low (20 W) | $0.007 | $0.056 | $1.68 | $20.44 |
| Typical (45 W) | $0.016 | $0.13 | $3.78 | $45.99 |
| High (90 W) | $0.032 | $0.25 | $7.56 | $91.98 |
Formula: watts ÷ 1000 × hours × price per kWh. Typical use is 8 h/day ≈ 131 kWh per year.
In California, with electricity at $0.35 per kWh (source: EIA Table 5.6.A, 2026-06), a typical laptop costs $0.016 per hour and about $45.99 per year at 8 hours a day. That is about 94% more than the US national average of $1.94 per month, because electricity in California costs $0.35 per kWh against $0.18 nationally. Each $1.00 of electricity buys roughly 63.5 hours of use.
How to lower the cost of running a laptop
- Lower screen brightness. The display is the biggest consumer on most laptops.
- Unplug the charger when the battery is full if the laptop lacks charge limiting.
- Use battery saver or balanced power mode for everyday work.
- Close background apps that keep the CPU busy.
In standby it draws about 1 W, which adds roughly 9 kWh ($3.07) per year if it is never unplugged.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to charge a laptop?
A 60 Wh battery costs about 0.07 kWh to charge from empty. That is a fraction of a cent in most regions.
Does a laptop use electricity when fully charged and plugged in?
Yes, it runs directly from mains at its normal draw, but it stops charging the battery.
Is a laptop cheaper to run than a desktop?
Almost always. A laptop uses a third or less of the electricity of an equivalent desktop plus monitor.
Compare with
Cost by region
- United States (average)
- California
- Texas
- New York
- Florida
- Canada (average)
- United Kingdom
- Germany
- France
- Australia
- India