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

Entertainment · Iowa

How Much Does It Cost to Run an Xbox Series X in Iowa?

The short answer

In Iowa, an Xbox Series X drawing 160W costs about $0.03 per hour — roughly $2.33 a month if it runs 3 hours a day.

That’s based on Iowa’s average residential rate of 16.0¢/kWh (EIA, July 2026), 13% below the US average.

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

Xbox Series X cost by daily use in Iowa

Cost at 16.0¢/kWh, the Iowa average (EIA, Jul 2026)
Daily usekWh/monthPer dayPer monthPer year
1 hour/day 4.9 $0.03 $0.78 $9.34
2 hours/day 9.7 $0.05 $1.56 $18.68
4 hours/day 19.5 $0.10 $3.11 $37.35
8 hours/day 38.9 $0.20 $6.23 $74.71
12 hours/day 58.4 $0.31 $9.34 $112
24 hours/day 116.8 $0.61 $18.68 $224

Iowa vs other states

At typical use, an Xbox Series X costs $28.01 a year in Iowa — $56.08 less than in Hawaii and $5.73 more than in Louisiana.

Iowa has the 24th-cheapest residential electricity of the 50 states and DC. Iowa price per kWh · all states ranked

Electricity price trend in Iowa

16.0¢/kWh in July 2026 — ▲ +4.4% from a year earlier.

How to lower the cost of running an Xbox Series X

The Xbox Series X typically draws 150–210W during games, depending on how demanding the title is, and much less on menus or video streaming. Its energy-saving shutdown mode uses well under a watt, while the 'sleep' standby mode draws more so it can wake and update quickly. Add your TV's consumption for the full cost of a gaming session.

  • Use the energy-saving shutdown option instead of sleep mode.
  • Turn on auto power-off after inactivity.
  • Stream video on a low-power device instead of the console.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to run an Xbox Series X for 24 hours in Iowa?

Running a 160W Xbox Series X for 24 hours uses about 3.84 kWh, which costs about $0.61 at Iowa’s average rate of 16.0¢/kWh.

How many kWh does an Xbox Series X use per month?

At 3 hours a day, a typical Xbox Series X uses about 14.6 kWh a month. In Iowa that costs $2.33.

Is it expensive to run an Xbox Series X in Iowa?

Iowa has the 24th-cheapest residential electricity of the 50 states and DC at 16.0¢/kWh — close to the middle of the pack. Running an Xbox Series X here costs about $28.01 a year at typical use, compared with $32.08 at the national average rate.

What is the electricity rate in Iowa right now?

The average residential electricity rate in Iowa was 16.0¢ per kWh in July 2026, according to the latest EIA data — up 4.4% from a year earlier.

Sources & method