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How Much Does It Cost to Run a Laptop in New York?
The short answer
In New York, a laptop drawing 60W costs about $0.02 per hour — roughly $4.37 a month if it runs 8 hours a day.
New York’s average residential rate was 29.9¢ per kWh in July 2026 (EIA), 63% above the US average.
Source: U.S. EIA, July 2026 data · Updated
Laptop cost by daily use in New York
| Daily use | kWh/month | Per day | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 hour/day | 1.8 | $0.02 | $0.55 | $6.55 |
| 2 hours/day | 3.7 | $0.04 | $1.09 | $13.10 |
| 4 hours/day | 7.3 | $0.07 | $2.18 | $26.19 |
| 8 hours/day | 14.6 | $0.14 | $4.37 | $52.38 |
| 12 hours/day | 21.9 | $0.22 | $6.55 | $78.58 |
| 24 hours/day | 43.8 | $0.43 | $13.10 | $157 |
New York vs other states
At typical use, a laptop costs $52.38 a year in New York — $31.71 less than in Hawaii and $30.10 more than in Louisiana.
New York has the 5th-most-expensive residential electricity of the 50 states and DC. New York electricity rates · all states ranked
Electricity price trend in New York
29.9¢/kWh in July 2026 — ▲ +14.0% from a year earlier.
How to lower the cost of running a laptop
Laptops are designed to run on batteries, so they're inherently efficient. Typical use draws 30–60W from the charger, with gaming laptops and mobile workstations reaching 100–200W under load. Even working full time on a laptop costs only a few dollars a month in most states.
- Use battery-saver mode and lower screen brightness.
- Unplug once charged if your laptop lacks charge-limiting features.
- Put it to sleep instead of leaving it idle overnight.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to run a laptop for 24 hours in New York?
Running a 60W laptop for 24 hours uses about 1.44 kWh, which costs about $0.43 at New York’s average rate of 29.9¢/kWh.
How many kWh does a laptop use per month?
At 8 hours a day, a typical laptop uses about 14.6 kWh a month. In New York that costs $4.37.
Is it expensive to run a laptop in New York?
New York has the 5th-most-expensive residential electricity of the 50 states and DC at 29.9¢/kWh — one of the most expensive. Running a laptop here costs about $52.38 a year at typical use, compared with $32.08 at the national average rate.
What is the electricity rate in New York right now?
The average residential electricity rate in New York was 29.9¢ per kWh in July 2026, according to the latest EIA data — up 14.0% from a year earlier.
Laptop costs in nearby states
Other appliances in New York
Cheapest and priciest states
Comparisons
Sources & method
- Electricity rates: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly — average residential retail price, July 2026 (latest available). Retrieved .
- CO₂: EIA State Electricity Profiles, 2024 emissions rate of in-state power generation.
- Default usage for laptop: 8 hours a day. Typical power 60W.
- Formulas, duty cycles and limitations: methodology. Data download: open data (CC BY 4.0).