Home Office Electricity Cost Calculator
Estimate workstation, monitor, network, and accessory electricity cost for working from home.
Estimate home-office electricity cost
How this calculator works
Add the active watts of the computer, monitors, dock, speakers, task lighting, and other equipment used during work. Use idle watts for equipment that stays powered outside active hours.
Heating, cooling, and whole-home internet service are excluded because allocating those shared costs to one workspace requires separate assumptions.
A 180-watt active setup used eight hours on five days per week, plus 25 watts during remaining time, costs roughly a few dollars per month at $0.18/kWh.
How to get a more accurate estimate
- Measure the complete workstation at one power strip when possible.
- Include extra monitors and docks, not only the computer rating.
- Use sleep settings and shut down nonessential accessories after work.
Frequently asked questions
Does this include home heating and cooling?
No. Those shared home costs should be calculated separately because occupancy and thermostat behavior vary.
Should router power be included?
Include the portion you want to attribute to the office, but remember a router may serve the entire household.
Is a laptop cheaper than a desktop?
Many laptops use less power, but monitors, docks, charging, workload, and desktop efficiency affect the comparison.
Results use the values you enter and the formula shown above. Real bills can include taxes, minimum charges, tiers, time-of-use pricing, cycling losses, and other adjustments. Use a recent bill or a plug-in energy meter when accuracy matters.