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How Much Does It Cost to Run a Home Server or NAS in Canada? (2026)
A network-attached storage box runs 24 hours a day, so even a modest 40 watt draw adds up to 350 kWh a year. Repurposed desktop PCs used as servers can use three times that.
A typical home server or nas (40 W) costs C$0.006 per hour, or about C$4.03 per month at 24 hours a day in Canada (average). Average running cost
| Wattage | Per hour | Per day | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low (15 W) | C$0.002 | C$0.050 | C$1.51 | C$18.40 |
| Typical (40 W) | C$0.006 | C$0.13 | C$4.03 | C$49.06 |
| High (150 W) | C$0.021 | C$0.50 | C$15.12 | C$183.96 |
Formula: watts ÷ 1000 × hours × price per kWh. Typical use is 24 h/day ≈ 350 kWh per year.
In Canada, with electricity at C$0.14 per kWh (source: Canada Energy Regulator 2026 market snapshot, 2026-06), a typical home server or nas costs C$0.006 per hour and about C$49.06 per year at 24 hours a day. Each C$1.00 of electricity buys roughly 178.6 hours of use.
How to lower the cost of running a home server or nas
- Enable disk spin-down for drives that are rarely accessed.
- Choose low-power hardware. A purpose-built NAS uses a fraction of an old desktop.
- Consolidate services onto one box rather than running several.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to run a NAS 24/7?
At 40 watts, about 29 kWh a month. Pick your region above for the cost.
Does a NAS use a lot of electricity?
Not per hour, but continuous operation makes it one of the larger always-on loads in a home.
Is a Raspberry Pi cheaper to run as a server?
Far cheaper, at 3 to 6 watts, but with much less storage and performance.
Cost by region
- United States (average)
- California
- Texas
- New York
- Florida
- Canada (average)
- United Kingdom
- Germany
- France
- Australia
- India