🖨️ Printer

How much electricity does a printer use? Laser vs inkjet, yearly cost

Yearly electricity use of home laser and inkjet printers, standby included, with the running cost.

Typical use

20 kWh/year

Per month

$0.30 · £0.433

Per year · 20 kWh

$4 · £5

With normal use all year, electricity at $0.18/kWh and £0.26/kWh all-in.

A home printer uses little: 10–40 kWh a year, a few euros or pounds. Laser printers draw 400–1,000 W for a few seconds while the fuser heats; inkjets only 10–30 W while printing.

Much of the consumption is standby, because the printer stays on day and night connected to Wi-Fi. The real cost of a printer is ink and toner, not electricity.

Consumption compared

TypeUsagekWh/yearCost/year
Inkjet, light use10 kWh/year10$2 · £3
Mono laser35 kWh/year35$6 · £9
Colour laser multifunction, always on90 kWh/year90$16 · £23

Yearly cost with normal use all year.

Work out your cost

Per month
$0.30
Per year
$4
Energy per year
20 kWh

The price is a typical all-in figure for your country: replace it with yours (bill total ÷ kWh).

How to use less

  • Enable auto power-off after an hour idle, or switch it off when not needed.
  • Batch your printing: with a laser, every fuser warm-up costs energy.
  • Don’t pull an inkjet’s plug without switching it off: at restart it runs cleaning cycles that use ink.

FAQ

How much electricity does a printer use?
On average about 20 kWh a year, from 3 to 150 kWh depending on model, energy class and age.
How much does it cost per year?
With normal use all year it uses about 20 kWh a year: about $4 · £5 at $0.18/kWh and £0.26/kWh.
How can I reduce it?
Enable auto power-off after an hour idle, or switch it off when not needed. Batch your printing: with a laser, every fuser warm-up costs energy.
🔌GuideStandby power: what always-on devices really cost

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