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Printer power consumption and electricity cost

How much electricity a printer uses depends on the printer model and how it is used.

On this page, we will show you how you can find out the power consumption of your printer and how to estimate the electricity cost.

How much power does a printer use

The power consumption of a printer should be described on the printer’s specifications sheet.

If you want to find your printer’s specifications, on your favorite browser, type your printer model (e.g., xerox workcentre 6515dni) followed by the word ‘specifications’.

Desktop printer power consumption specifications

One of the first results will probably lead you to the manufacturer’s website and the specifications you seek.

Desktop printer operating power consumption

For example, at home, we are using an HP printer, and according to its specification is does use:

> 13.95 Watts while printing

> 3.60 Watts while ready mode

> 0.93 Watts while in sleep mode

> 0.20 Watts while Off

printer power consumption

Printer electricity cost calculator

Once you know the power consumption, the calculator below can estimate the power consumption and the electricity cost of a printer over time.

You need to adjust the values in the PARAMETERS section to your requirements, and the calculator will automatically display the RESULTS section.

 

For example, if your printer:

> It has a power rating of 350 Watts

> You use it 30 minutes per day and 280 days per year (operating mode/printing mode)

> You are paying 0,217 euros (or dollars or pounds) per every kWh you consume 

You will be paying around 10,6 euros (or dollars, or pounds, or…) per year in electricity costs.

How much does electricity cost

If you don’t know how much you are paying per kWh, you should be able to find the cost per kWh on your electricity contract or in one of the electricity bills.

how much does electricity cost

Alternatively, if you don’t have access to your contract or electricity bills, this website shows the electricity cost per country.

Home appliances and devices electricity calculators

A few other examples from our ‘Electricity usage and electricity cost calculators‘ page that may be of your interest:

Printer electricity usage monitor

If you want to know the exact electricity usage of a printer, your best option is to use a plug-in power meter to measure the exact power consumption and electricity cost. 

Clicking on the image below will redirect you to the Amazon page, where you can look at the specifications of the power meter we use for our measurements.

plug in power meter

Our house appliances and devices like the washing machine, the dishwasher, the TV, or the printer are plugged into a wall socket. 

So, with a power consumption meter, we can determine how much electricity our appliances or devices are using, and, more importantly, we can measure the electricity usage over time.

Have a look at this YouTube video for more information.

Plug in power meter

Printer electricity usage FAQ

Do printers use a lot of electricity?

No, in general, they don’t.

Unless in use, the printers use very little electricity, and while in power save mode, they use nearly no electricity.

While in use, depending on the model, they use around 300 Watts per hour. Which is not a lot of electricity either.

How many Watts does printer use?

Depending on the printer model and usage.

A printer in power save mode or in standby mode uses little power.

While in use, a printer may use between 300 and 500 Watts per hour. 

Desktop printer operating power consumption

Electricity measurement units

Not everybody is familiar with terms like Watts, Kilowatts, or Kilowatt hours, so if you would learn more about them, look at this YouTube video we have prepared about this topic.

What is a Kilowatt hour (kWh)

Electricity measurement units calculators

Or you can have a look at these electricity measurement units calculators to get a better understanding of:

> What is a Watt (W), and how to transform Watts into Kilowatts

> What is a Kilowatt (kW), and how to transform Kilowatts into Kilowatts hour

> What is a Kilowatt hour (kWh), and how to transform Kilowatts hours into other units

> What are Power (P), Voltage (V), and Current (I)

Watt (W)
Watt (W) wattage calculator
Kilowatt (kW)
Kilowatt (kW) calculator
Kilowatt hour (kWh)
Kilowatt hour (kWh) calculator
Power, voltage, current
Power, voltage, current calculator

Printers and energy conservation

Energy conservation can be defined as the decision and the act of using less energy.

Energy conservation both benefit you and the environment

The act of saving and conserving electricity does benefit you because you will be paying less for your energy bills. 

And it also benefits the environment because conserving electricity prevents unnecessary waste of natural resources.

At the individual level, it may not look worth trying to save a few watts here or there. 

Still, every little one counts, and if hundreds or thousands of us save a little every time, it will make an important contribution towards conserving our natural resources.

Energy conservation calculator

Reducing our printer’s electricity usage, even a very small amount, would greatly impact preserving our natural resources.

 

For example, if 9000 households save as little as 10 Watts per day (0,01 kWh) on the printer’s electricity usage, that would add to 32850 Kilowatt hours (kWh) saved per year. 

9000 households x 0,01 kWh per day x 365 days per year 

32,850 kWh saved per year

That is a considerable amount of electricity, but let’s add additional perspectives for clarity:

> Assuming an average cost of 0,18 euros (or dollars, pounds, or any other currency) per kWh, we would collectively save nearly 6000 euros annually.

> To produce 32,850 kWh of electricity, it is necessary to use around 17 metric tons of coal or 56 barrels of residual fuel oil.

Look at this page for more information about the resources needed to produce electricity.
 

In any case, small energy savings do count when looking into the bigger picture.

Proven ways to save electricity at home

If you want to save electricity ideas at home, watch this YouTube video where we provide useful tips to reduce electricity usage and decrease the electricity bill.

How to save electricity at home
How to save
How to save
How to earn
How to earn

Calculators

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