How Much Does It Cost to Run a Laptop in South Carolina? (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 $0.007 per hour, or about $1.68 per month at 8 hours a day in South Carolina. Cheap to run

Hours used per day
WattagePer hourPer dayPer monthPer year
Low 20 W$0.003$0.025$0.75$9.08
Typical 45 W$0.007$0.056$1.68$20.43
High 90 W$0.014$0.11$3.36$40.87

Formula: watts ÷ 1000 × hours × price per kWh. Typical use is 8 h/day ≈ 131 kWh per year.

One day of a laptop (1.1 kWh) is the same electricity as

Electricity per year at typical use, on a log scale: #42 of 95 appliances, from least to most.

In South Carolina, with electricity at 15.6¢ per kWh (source: EIA Table 5.6.A, 2026-06), a typical laptop costs $0.007 per hour and about $20.43 per year at 8 hours a day. That is about 15% less than the national average for the US ($1.98 per month), because electricity in South Carolina costs 15.6¢ per kWh against 18.3¢ nationally. Each $1.00 of electricity buys roughly 142.9 hours of use.

How to lower the cost of running a laptop

In standby it draws about 1 W, which adds roughly 9 kWh ($1.36) per year if it is never unplugged.

Is switching from a desktop computer to a laptop worth it? Savings and payback

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

US states
Canadian provinces

Related appliances

Use the generic electricity cost calculator · Which uses more? Take the quiz