U.S. residential electricity EIA data: July 2026 US average 18.3¢/kWh Updated
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Entertainment · Virginia

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

The short answer

In Virginia, a gaming PC drawing 500W costs about $0.09 per hour — roughly $10.68 a month if it runs 4 hours a day.

That’s based on Virginia’s average residential rate of 17.6¢/kWh (EIA, July 2026), 4% below the US average.

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

Gaming PC cost by daily use in Virginia

Cost at 17.6¢/kWh, the Virginia average (EIA, Jul 2026)
Daily usekWh/monthPer dayPer monthPer year
1 hour/day 15.2 $0.09 $2.67 $32.03
2 hours/day 30.4 $0.18 $5.34 $64.06
4 hours/day 60.8 $0.35 $10.68 $128
8 hours/day 121.7 $0.70 $21.35 $256
12 hours/day 182.5 $1.05 $32.03 $384
24 hours/day 365.0 $2.11 $64.06 $769

Virginia vs other states

At typical use, a gaming PC costs $128 a year in Virginia — $222 less than in Hawaii and $35.26 more than in Louisiana.

Virginia has the 20th-most-expensive residential electricity of the 50 states and DC. Virginia electricity rates · all states ranked

Electricity price trend in Virginia

17.6¢/kWh in July 2026 — ▲ +11.2% 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 Virginia?

Running a 500W gaming PC for 24 hours uses about 12.0 kWh, which costs about $2.11 at Virginia’s average rate of 17.6¢/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 Virginia that costs $10.68.

Is it expensive to run a gaming PC in Virginia?

Virginia has the 20th-most-expensive residential electricity of the 50 states and DC at 17.6¢/kWh — pricier than most. Running a gaming PC here costs about $128 a year at typical use, compared with $134 at the national average rate.

What is the electricity rate in Virginia right now?

The average residential electricity rate in Virginia was 17.6¢ per kWh in July 2026, according to the latest EIA data — up 11.2% 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