How much does it cost to run a games console?
A games console with a typical power of 120 watts costs 3.2p an hour at the current price cap.
Uses Ofgem's price cap for 1 October to 31 December 2026: 26.32p per kWh, the average for Great Britain when paying by Direct Debit. Prices checked 13 November 2026.
Result
A games console (120 W) costs 3.2p an hour to run at the price cap rate of 26.32p per kWh.
an hour, to the nearest penny
| A day | 3.2p |
|---|---|
| A week | 22.1p |
| A month | 96.1p |
| A year | £11.53 |
| Electricity used in a year | 44 kWh |
That is 2% of the 2,500 kWh a typical home uses in a year.
Show the workings
| Step | Sum | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| Turn watts into kilowatts | 120 W ÷ 1,000 | 0.12 kW |
| Cost of one hour | 0.12 kWh × 26.32p per kWh | 3.2p |
| Cost of one day's use | 3.2p × 1 hours | 3.2p |
| Cost of one week | 3.2p × 7 days | 22.1p |
| Cost of one year | 22.1p ÷ 7 × 365 days | £11.53 |
What this leaves out or assumes
- The standing charge is left out, because you pay it whether or not you use this appliance.
- A month is one twelfth of a year.
- The appliance draws its full power for the whole time it is on.
Where the figures come from
- Electricity unit rate, price cap, Great Britain average, Direct Debit: 26.32p per kWh. Source: Ofgem: Energy price cap unit rates and standing charges. Checked 13 November 2026.
- Typical yearly electricity use, medium user: 2,500 kWh a year. Source: Ofgem: Review of typical domestic consumption values, decision (Table 1). Checked 13 November 2026.
Typical power for a games console is from Centre for Sustainable Energy: How much electricity am I using?. Yours may differ: check its rating plate.
Cost by how long it runs
| Running for | Electricity used | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| 5 minutes | 0.01 kWh | 0.3p |
| 10 minutes | 0.02 kWh | 0.5p |
| 30 minutes | 0.06 kWh | 1.6p |
| 1 hour | 0.12 kWh | 3.2p |
| 2 hours | 0.24 kWh | 6.3p |
| 4 hours | 0.48 kWh | 12.6p |
| 8 hours | 0.96 kWh | 25.3p |
| 24 hours | 2.88 kWh | 75.8p |
Cost over a month and a year
If you used it this much every day:
| Used for | A month | A year |
|---|---|---|
| 30 minutes a day | 48p | £5.76 |
| 1 hour a day | 96.1p | £11.53 |
| 2 hours a day | £1.92 | £23.06 |
| 4 hours a day | £3.84 | £46.11 |
| 8 hours a day | £7.69 | £92.23 |
| All day, every day | £23.06 | £276.68 |
How much electricity does a games console use?
A games console rated at 120 watts uses 0.12 kWh of electricity for every hour it draws full power. Used for 1 hour every day, that is 44 kWh a year, 2% of the 2,500 kWh a typical home uses.
Cost in your region
The price cap is different in each region. Running a games console for an hour costs 3p in East Midlands, the cheapest region, and 3.3p in Merseyside and Northern Wales, the dearest.
| Region | Price per kWh | Cost for an hour |
|---|---|---|
| East Midlands | 25.36p | 3p |
| Eastern England | 26.61p | 3.2p |
| London | 26.60p | 3.2p |
| Merseyside and Northern Wales | 27.86p | 3.3p |
| North Eastern England | 25.46p | 3.1p |
| North Western England | 26.49p | 3.2p |
| Northern Scotland | 26.35p | 3.2p |
| South Eastern England | 26.88p | 3.2p |
| South Western England | 26.58p | 3.2p |
| Southern England | 26.47p | 3.2p |
| Southern Scotland | 26.11p | 3.1p |
| Southern Wales | 26.55p | 3.2p |
| West Midlands | 25.60p | 3.1p |
| Yorkshire | 25.60p | 3.1p |
Paying by Direct Debit. Prices for other ways of paying.
How it compares
| Appliance | Typical power | An hour |
|---|---|---|
| Desktop computer | 140 W | 3.7p |
| Games console | 120 W | 3.2p |
| LCD TV | 120 W | 3.2p |
| Laptop | 50 W | 1.3p |
| TV box | 40 W | 1.1p |
| Broadband router | 10 W | 0.3p |
Running costs of every appliance
Checking your own games console
120 watts is a typical figure. Yours may be higher or lower. Look for the rating plate on the back or underside, find the number followed by W or kW, and put it in the calculator above.
Typical power is from Centre for Sustainable Energy: How much electricity am I using?, checked 13 November 2026. Prices are from Ofgem: Energy price cap unit rates and standing charges. The costs are our own sums.