Electronics & Office · Midwest
Cost to run a gaming console in North Dakota
At North Dakota’s average residential rate of 13.31¢ per kWh, a gaming console drawing 150W for 3 hours a day, at a 100% duty cycle, costs about $1.82 per 30.44 use days. Change the numbers below to match how you actually use yours.
Gaming Console electricity cost calculator
Use watts and running time, or enter energy from a label, meter or completed load. Your inputs stay on this device.
Enter a number within each field’s limits to calculate your cost.
Your estimated energy cost
164 kWh across 365 use days per year
Power mode includes your selected duty cycle. The monthly figure assumes 30.44 use days; the annual total uses your selected use days. These are estimates at the entered rate.
Energy charges only. Fixed utility fees, purchase, installation and maintenance are excluded. See the calculation method and sources.
Why the cost differs in North Dakota
North Dakota has the 3rd cheapest residential electricity of the 50 US states and Washington, DC we track, at 13.31¢ per kWh against a national average of 18.16¢. That is -26.7% compared with the national figure. North Dakota has the cheapest electricity in the country, built on abundant coal, strong wind resources and hydroelectric imports spread across a very small population. Retail service is regulated. Winter is severe and sustained, making heating the dominant load by a wide margin, and the low rate means high-consumption heating appliances cost less to run here than anywhere else in the nation.
For this appliance specifically, the difference works out to a saving of $7.97 a year against what the same gaming console would cost at the national average rate. Run the identical appliance in Hawaii and it would cost $77.49 a year; in Nevada it would cost $20.89. That spread of $56.60 is entirely down to location.
Reducing use by 100 kWh would save $13.31 in energy charges at North Dakota's average rate, compared with $18.16 at the US average. Whether a replacement appliance pays for itself also depends on its purchase price and the energy it actually saves.
Use the energy and delivery price that applies to your own utility plan in North Dakota. If your plan has time-of-use prices, calculate each period separately or use a rate weighted by the electricity used in each period. Fixed monthly fees are outside this appliance energy-cost estimate.
| Location | Rate | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Dakota this page | 13.31¢ | $1.82 | $21.86 |
| US average | 18.16¢ | $2.49 | $29.83 |
| Nevada cheapest state | 12.72¢ | $1.74 | $20.89 |
| Hawaii most expensive | 47.18¢ | $6.46 | $77.49 |
North Dakota electricity rate trend
Rates in North Dakota have moved from 13.65¢ to 13.31¢ per kWh between September 2025 and August 2026. The national residential average changed +3.4% from the same month a year earlier.
2025-09 to 2026-08 · cents per kWh
About running a gaming console
Current-generation consoles draw 90 to 200 watts while gaming. Rest mode is the thing to check - some configurations draw 10 to 15 watts continuously to enable background downloads.
How we worked this out
The arithmetic is simple and we would rather show it than hide it. Divide watts by 1,000 to get kilowatts, multiply by hours of use and by the duty cycle to get kilowatt-hours, then multiply by your rate:
150W ÷ 1000 × 3h = 0.450 kWh/day × 13.31¢ = $0.060 per day
One honest caveat: North Dakota’s figure is a state average published by the EIA. Your own utility’s tariff, any time-of-use pricing, fixed monthly service charges and local taxes all shift the real number. Put your actual per-kWh rate into the calculator above for a figure that reflects your bill.
How to estimate your gaming console electricity use
Console electricity changes between playing a game, streaming video, downloading in rest mode and being off. The model and power settings matter, so use representative inputs for each task rather than one maximum rating all day.
Example power is not a specification for a particular console. Hardware, games, subscriptions and internet service are separate from electricity.
- Estimate gaming energy from average wall watts during the games you play and the time spent playing. Menu or video-playback draw may not represent gaming draw.
- Calculate rest-mode and off-mode energy separately for the remaining hours. Updates and controller charging can affect what a measurement includes.
- For an illustrative 150W average wall draw over three hours, energy is 0.45 kWh and cost is $0.09 at $0.20/kWh.
- Add the TV, monitor and sound equipment only when they are excluded from the console measurement.
Calculation and data sources
Daily kWh = watts ÷ 1,000 × hours × duty cycle ÷ 100. Multiply kWh by your rate in dollars per kWh to get cost. The wattage, hours and duty cycle above are editable example assumptions, not EIA measurements of this appliance.
The US and state average prices come from the EIA for August 2026. A state average is a starting point; your bill is the better source for your tariff.
Questions about gaming console running costs
How much electricity does a gaming console use?
In this example, 150 watts at a 100% duty cycle uses 0.150 kWh per scheduled hour. At 3.00 hours per day, that is 0.450 kWh per use day. Your model and operating conditions can differ.
How much does it cost to run a gaming console for an hour?
The default example costs $0.020 per scheduled hour at the North Dakota average of 13.31¢/kWh for August 2026. This includes the selected duty cycle. Enter your watts, duty cycle and electricity price for your own estimate.
Does the annual cost assume I use it every day?
The reference tables use 365 days at the stated daily hours; monthly figures use 30.44 days. These are comparison scenarios, not forecasts. For a heater used on 90 days, enter 90 use days per year in the calculator.
Why does electricity running cost vary by state?
For August 2026, the EIA state averages range from 12.72¢/kWh in Nevada to 47.18¢/kWh in Hawaii. Equal electricity use costs more at a higher rate. Your utility tariff can differ from the state average.
Does rest mode use the same electricity as gaming?
No. These are different operating modes. Use model-specific information or measurements for each, including any network activity or charging that occurs in rest mode.
Does this include the TV used with a console?
Only if your input measurement already includes it. Otherwise estimate the display separately and add its energy to the console total.
How do I estimate the electricity cost of a gaming session?
Multiply average wall kW during play by session hours and by your price per kWh. Add other equipment only if it is outside that wall measurement.