U.S. residential electricity EIA data: July 2026 US average 18.3¢/kWh Updated
Appliances Rates by state Compare Calculators Reports Methodology About

Entertainment · Delaware

How Much Does It Cost to Run a Gaming PC in Delaware?

The short answer

Running a 500W gaming PC in Delaware costs about $0.09 an hour. At 4 hours a day, that’s roughly $11.24 a month and $135 a year.

That’s based on Delaware’s average residential rate of 18.5¢/kWh (EIA, July 2026), about the same as the US average.

Source: U.S. EIA, July 2026 data · Updated

Gaming PC cost by daily use in Delaware

Cost at 18.5¢/kWh, the Delaware average (EIA, Jul 2026)
Daily usekWh/monthPer dayPer monthPer year
1 hour/day 15.2 $0.09 $2.81 $33.73
2 hours/day 30.4 $0.18 $5.62 $67.45
4 hours/day 60.8 $0.37 $11.24 $135
8 hours/day 121.7 $0.74 $22.49 $270
12 hours/day 182.5 $1.11 $33.73 $405
24 hours/day 365.0 $2.22 $67.46 $809

Delaware vs other states

At typical use, a gaming PC costs $135 a year in Delaware — $215 less than in Hawaii and $42.05 more than in Louisiana.

Delaware has the 19th-most-expensive residential electricity of the 50 states and DC. Delaware price per kWh · all states ranked

Electricity price trend in Delaware

18.5¢/kWh in July 2026 — ▲ +11.5% from a year earlier.

How to lower the cost of running a gaming PC

A gaming PC's power draw depends on the GPU and CPU and on how demanding the game is. A mid-range build typically pulls around 400–500W from the wall during gaming, while high-end systems with top-tier graphics cards can exceed 700–800W. Idle and desktop use is much lower, often 60–120W. The monitor adds another 30–80W.

  • Cap frame rates to your monitor's refresh rate — rendering frames you can't see wastes power.
  • Use your GPU's power-limit or efficiency settings for a large power cut with a small performance loss.
  • Set the PC to sleep after 15–30 minutes of inactivity.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to run a gaming PC for 24 hours in Delaware?

Running a 500W gaming PC for 24 hours uses about 12.0 kWh, which costs about $2.22 at Delaware’s average rate of 18.5¢/kWh.

How many kWh does a gaming PC use per month?

At 4 hours a day, a typical gaming PC uses about 60.8 kWh a month. In Delaware that costs $11.24.

Is it expensive to run a gaming PC in Delaware?

Delaware has the 19th-most-expensive residential electricity of the 50 states and DC at 18.5¢/kWh — pricier than most. Running a gaming PC here costs about $135 a year at typical use, compared with $134 at the national average rate.

What is the electricity rate in Delaware right now?

The average residential electricity rate in Delaware was 18.5¢ per kWh in July 2026, according to the latest EIA data — up 11.5% from a year earlier.

Does a gaming PC use more electricity than a console?

Usually yes. A typical gaming PC draws 2–3 times more than a PS5 or Xbox Series X while gaming.

Gaming PC costs in nearby states

Cheapest and priciest states

Comparisons

Sources & method