Less than most people fear, but more than nothing, and it adds up when a printer runs every day. Here's how to work out what yours costs.
Average power draw
A printer draws the most power while the bed and nozzle heat up, then settles to a much lower average while printing. What matters for cost is the average across the whole print.
Typical averages for common printers printing PLA:
| Printer | Average while printing |
|---|---|
| Bambu Lab P1S | about 95 W |
| Bambu Lab X1 Carbon | about 115 W (about 250 W peak while heating) |
| Prusa MK4 | about 95 W (about 200 W peak) |
| Creality Ender 3 | about 125 W |
| Idle (most modern printers) | about 5–15 W |
Published measurements; your results will vary.
Higher bed temperatures (for ABS, ASA, or nylon), a cold room, or a heated enclosure raise the average. Filament dryers and other shop equipment add their own draw.
Cost per hour
Cost per hour = average watts ÷ 1,000 × your rate per kWh
For a printer averaging 95 W:
| Electricity rate | Per print hour | Per month running 24/7 (about 69 kWh) |
|---|---|---|
| $0.1187/kWh (BC Hydro step 1) | 1.1¢ | $8.23 |
| $0.1408/kWh (BC Hydro step 2) | 1.3¢ | $9.76 |
| $0.17/kWh (example US rate) | 1.6¢ | $11.79 |
BC Hydro rates shown are those listed by BC Hydro in October 2026. Rates change most years, so use the figure on your latest bill.
Notes for BC:
- On BC Hydro's standard two-step rate, you pay a higher step 2 price once your household passes the step 1 threshold: about 22 kWh a day, or roughly 1,350 kWh in a two-month billing period. If your home already uses that much, the extra power for your printers is effectively charged at the step 2 rate, so use that in your costing.
- BC Hydro also offers an optional flat rate (12.63¢/kWh when it launched in April 2025), with an optional time-of-day add-on: a discount for power used overnight (11 p.m. to 7 a.m.) and a surcharge from 4 to 9 p.m. If your printers run long jobs overnight, it may be worth comparing. See Running a printer 24/7 without losing sleep.
Is it worth including?
Yes. It's small per print, but leaving it out is how small costs add up to lost profit. One printer running around the clock uses roughly 70 kWh a month. Five printers use about 350 kWh.
How to measure your own printer
- Plug the printer into a plug-in watt meter (sold at hardware stores).
- Reset it and run a normal, full-length print.
- Divide the kWh used by the print time in hours. That's your average in kW.
Measure a few different prints (small and large, PLA and a high-temperature material) and use a typical figure.
Put it in your prices
Electricity is one of six costs in every print. See how it fits with filament, printer wear, and labour in How to price 3D prints, or try the free calculator.
Sources
- BC Hydro, residential tiered rate (step 1 11.87¢/kWh, step 2 14.08¢/kWh; step 1 threshold 22.1918 kWh a day), checked October 5, 2026
- BC Hydro news release, optional flat rate (12.63¢/kWh) and time-of-day pricing, launched April 1, 2025
- FilamentCalcs, measured average printer power draw