Electronics & always-on: electricity cost calculators
Small watts, long hours — devices that never really turn off. Every calculator below starts from a realistic wattage and runtime preset and uses your state's average residential electricity price (May 2026 EIA data) — or the exact rate from your bill.
Most expensive to run
Typical monthly cost while in use, at the U.S. average price of 18.44¢/kWh.
| Appliance | Preset | Per month in use |
|---|---|---|
| Home server | ~100 W · 24h/day | $13 |
| Gaming PC | ~450 W · 4h/day | $10 |
| Standby (vampire) power | ~75 W · 24h/day | $10 |
| NAS (network storage) | ~40 W · 24h/day | $5 |
| Security camera system | ~30 W · 24h/day | $4 |
All 7 calculators
Gaming PC A serious rig under load is a real appliance.
~450 W · 4h/day →
Television Modern TVs are cheap to run — size and brightness matter.
~100 W · 5h/day →
Home server 24/7 duty makes even modest watts add up.
~100 W · 24h/day →
NAS (network storage) Each spinning drive adds 5–8 watts, all day long.
~40 W · 24h/day →
Wi-Fi router & modem Always on, but mercifully small.
~15 W · 24h/day →
Security camera system The NVR usually draws more than the cameras.
~30 W · 24h/day →
Standby (vampire) power The load that never turns off — typically 5–10% of a bill.
~75 W · 24h/day →
Other categories
How these estimates work
Cost = watts ÷ 1,000 × hours × price per kWh. Prices are average residential prices by state from the EIA Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A (May 2026), refreshed automatically each month. EIA averages include delivery and taxes but are not any specific utility tariff.