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How Much Does It Cost to Run a Smart Speaker in Ontario? (2026)
Smart speakers listen constantly and draw 2 to 4 watts idle, rising slightly when playing music. Each one adds around 20 to 30 kWh a year, which matters mainly if you have many.
A typical smart speaker (3 W) costs C$0.000 per hour, or about C$0.32 per month at 24 hours a day in Ontario. Cheap to run
| Wattage | Per hour | Per day | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low (2 W) | C$0.000 | C$0.007 | C$0.22 | C$2.63 |
| Typical (3 W) | C$0.000 | C$0.011 | C$0.32 | C$3.94 |
| High (6 W) | C$0.001 | C$0.022 | C$0.65 | C$7.88 |
Formula: watts ÷ 1000 × hours × price per kWh. Typical use is 24 h/day ≈ 26 kWh per year.
One day of a smart speaker (0.07 kWh) is the same electricity as
- 4.8phone charges
- 7.2hours of Wi-Fi
- 8.0hours of an LED bulb
In Ontario, with electricity at C$0.15 per kWh (source: Hydro-Québec 2025 comparison, 2025-04), a typical smart speaker costs C$0.000 per hour and about C$3.94 per year at 24 hours a day. That is about 7% more than the national average for Canada (C$0.30 per month), because electricity in Ontario costs C$0.15 per kWh against C$0.14 nationally. Each C$1.00 of electricity buys roughly 2,222.2 hours of use.
How to lower the cost of running a smart speaker
- Count them. Six speakers at 3 watts each cost more than a fridge over a year.
- Turn off the always-on display on models that have one.
- Unplug speakers in rooms you rarely use.
In standby it draws about 2 W, which adds roughly 18 kWh (C$2.63) per year if it is never unplugged.
Frequently asked questions
How much electricity does a smart speaker use?
About 25 kWh a year at 3 watts continuous.
Does a smart speaker use power when not playing?
Yes. Idle draw is most of its consumption since it listens all the time.
Should I unplug my smart speaker at night?
Only if you have several. The saving per speaker is small.
Cost by region
US states
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Canadian provinces
Related appliances
- Streaming Stick or Box4 W typical
- Soundbar25 W typical
- Home Projector250 W typical
- Television100 W typical
Use the generic electricity cost calculator → · Which uses more? Take the quiz →