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How Much Does It Cost to Run a Phone Charger in California? (2026)
Charging a smartphone from empty takes 10 to 20 watt-hours, so a full year of daily charges is about 5 kWh. Chargers left plugged in draw well under a watt with nothing attached.
A typical phone charger (10 W) costs $0.003 per hour, or about $0.21 per month at 2 hours a day in California. Cheap to run
| Wattage | Per hour | Per day | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low (5 W) | $0.002 | $0.003 | $0.10 | $1.28 |
| Typical (10 W) | $0.003 | $0.007 | $0.21 | $2.55 |
| High (25 W) | $0.009 | $0.017 | $0.52 | $6.39 |
Formula: watts ÷ 1000 × hours × price per kWh. Typical use is 2 h/day ≈ 7 kWh per year.
In California, with electricity at $0.35 per kWh (source: EIA Table 5.6.A, 2026-06), a typical phone charger costs $0.003 per hour and about $2.55 per year at 2 hours a day. That is about 94% more than the US national average of $0.11 per month, because electricity in California costs $0.35 per kWh against $0.18 nationally. Each $1.00 of electricity buys roughly 285.7 hours of use.
How to lower the cost of running a phone charger
- There is nothing to save here. Charge as you like.
- Unplug chargers only if you want a tidy outlet, not for the bill.
- Fast chargers do not use more energy per charge, they just finish sooner.
In standby it draws about 0.1 W, which adds roughly 1 kWh ($0.31) per year if it is never unplugged.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to charge a phone for a year?
About 3 to 6 kWh, well under a dollar or pound almost anywhere.
Do phone chargers use electricity when not charging?
Around 0.1 watt for modern chargers, about 1 kWh a year.
Is wireless charging more expensive?
It wastes 30 to 50 percent more energy, but the total is still tiny.
Cost by region
- United States (average)
- California
- Texas
- New York
- Florida
- Canada (average)
- United Kingdom
- Germany
- France
- Australia
- India