How much does one hour of running a 3D printer cost?
Published on May 08, 2026
"I printed a part for 6 hours. What did that cost me in power?" The answer ranges from $0.10 to $2.00 depending on three factors: the printer, your state, and the material. This post breaks each one down.
The basic math
energy cost = time (h) × power (kW) × cost per kWh
The three inputs:
- Time: your slicer tells you
- Average power during printing: depends on the printer — not the nozzle's peak draw
- kWh price: your power bill, varies a lot by state
Power by model
Most sites list the hotend or PSU rating, which are peak values. For cost math you want the average power during actual printing — much lower.
| Printer | Average power |
|---|---|
| Bambu Lab A1 Mini | ~110 W |
| Bambu Lab A1 | ~130 W |
| Bambu Lab P1P/P1S | ~150 W |
| Bambu Lab X1 Carbon | ~180 W |
| Creality Ender 3 / V2 | ~150 W |
| Creality K1 | ~180 W |
| Prusa MK4 | ~120 W |
| Prusa XL | ~200 W |
| Anycubic Kobra 2 | ~140 W |
Why the differences? Enclosed chambers (X1, K1) burn more on chamber heating. Larger build volumes (XL) burn more on the bigger bed. Direct drive vs Bowden matters less than you'd think.
Want a precise number? Plug in a power meter (Kill-A-Watt, or a smart Sonoff S31) and measure it yourself. Most people are surprised — it's usually less than they expected.
kWh price by state (US)
Residential average (EIA, early 2026):
| State | $/kWh |
|---|---|
| Hawaii | 0.42 |
| Massachusetts | 0.31 |
| Rhode Island | 0.31 |
| California | 0.34 |
| Connecticut | 0.31 |
| New York | 0.27 |
| Vermont | 0.25 |
| Maine | 0.29 |
| Pennsylvania | 0.21 |
| Florida | 0.16 |
| Texas | 0.16 |
| Tennessee | 0.13 |
| Idaho | 0.13 |
| Louisiana | 0.12 |
| Washington | 0.14 |
Nearly 4× variation between Louisiana (cheapest) and Hawaii (most expensive). Someone in Texas pays half what someone in California does. If you just moved states, your part margin moved too.
Real-world examples
Bambu A1 (130 W) in Texas, 6 hours
0.130 kW × 6 h × $0.16/kWh = $0.12
Cost per part (if the print yields 1 part): $0.12.
Ender 3 (150 W) in California, 12 hours
0.150 kW × 12 h × $0.34/kWh = $0.61
Prusa XL (200 W) in Massachusetts, 24 hours (big print)
0.200 kW × 24 h × $0.31/kWh = $1.49
X1 Carbon (180 W) with ABS in Hawaii, 8 hours
0.180 kW × 8 h × $0.42/kWh = $0.60
ABS draws more because the enclosed chamber has to hold 40–50 °C, but the impact isn't huge on short prints — print time dominates.
Idle consumption matters too
Your printer doesn't draw zero in standby. LCD screens, mainboards and exhaust fans pull ~3–5 W 24/7. In a month:
0.004 kW × 24 h × 30 days × $0.16 = $0.46/month
Not huge, but if you leave 3 printers powered in the studio year-round = $17. Roll it into your monthly fixed cost.
Annual projection for a print shop
3 printers running 8 hours a day, 25 days/month, in California:
3 × 0.150 kW × 8 h × 25 days × 12 months × $0.34 = $3,672/year
Nearly $4k just for electricity. Not something you can ignore in pricing.
What about the monitor, air filter, and room light?
To get really precise:
- Monitor for print supervision: ~30 W
- Air filter (BentoBox, AirManager): 10–30 W
- Room LED lighting: 10–20 W
- AC if you print in an air-conditioned room (summer): 800–1200 W (!)
The AC is the big villain. If you print in a closed room with AC because of the ABS heat, multiply your energy cost by 5×–10×. Factor that into ABS pricing in summer.
How to cut the cost
- Print at night if your utility has time-of-use rates (common in CA, NY; less common elsewhere)
- Solar: a basic 2 kWp install pays back in 4–5 years and covers all printer usage
- Power down between prints: smart plug with timer or the old-school manual flip
- Insulate the enclosure: holds heat without re-burning it
Run the math without a spreadsheet
PrintCalc has the energy calculation baked in. You pick the printer (power auto-fills), enter your kWh price, and it computes the per-part cost. There's also an "Estimate by location" button that pre-fills the average kWh for your state — you can still edit it to match your actual power bill.