How much does a phone charger cost to run?
Updated August 2026 · average residential rates
Quick answer: a phone charger (10–20 W while fast-charging) costs about 0.3¢ per hour to run at the US average rate. With one full charge/day, that's 0.5¢/day, 15.4¢/month and $1.85/year — using ~0.0 kWh a day. Your state's rate can move this from 10.2¢ to 38.4¢ monthly.
Run your own numbers
10–20 W while fast-charging · default assumes one full charge/day
Uses about 0.0 kWh/day at 15.6¢/kWh (Texas). National average would be 15.4¢/month.
Phone Charger cost by state
| State | Rate | Per hour | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 15.6¢/kWh | 0.2¢ | 14.2¢ |
| Alaska | 24.9¢/kWh | 0.4¢ | 22.7¢ |
| Arizona | 15.2¢/kWh | 0.2¢ | 13.9¢ |
| Arkansas | 12.7¢/kWh | 0.2¢ | 11.6¢ |
| California | 31.8¢/kWh | 0.5¢ | 29.0¢ |
| Colorado | 15.3¢/kWh | 0.2¢ | 14.0¢ |
| Connecticut | 32.3¢/kWh | 0.5¢ | 29.5¢ |
| Delaware | 16.8¢/kWh | 0.3¢ | 15.3¢ |
| District of Columbia | 17.6¢/kWh | 0.3¢ | 16.1¢ |
| Florida | 15.1¢/kWh | 0.2¢ | 13.8¢ |
| Georgia | 14.2¢/kWh | 0.2¢ | 13.0¢ |
| Hawaii | 42.1¢/kWh | 0.6¢ | 38.4¢ |
| Idaho | 11.6¢/kWh | 0.2¢ | 10.6¢ |
| Illinois | 16.4¢/kWh | 0.2¢ | 15.0¢ |
| Indiana | 15.7¢/kWh | 0.2¢ | 14.3¢ |
| Iowa | 13.7¢/kWh | 0.2¢ | 12.5¢ |
| Kansas | 14.3¢/kWh | 0.2¢ | 13.0¢ |
| Kentucky | 13.1¢/kWh | 0.2¢ | 11.9¢ |
| Louisiana | 12.1¢/kWh | 0.2¢ | 11.0¢ |
| Maine | 25.6¢/kWh | 0.4¢ | 23.3¢ |
| Maryland | 18.1¢/kWh | 0.3¢ | 16.5¢ |
| Massachusetts | 31.2¢/kWh | 0.5¢ | 28.5¢ |
| Michigan | 19.4¢/kWh | 0.3¢ | 17.7¢ |
| Minnesota | 15.1¢/kWh | 0.2¢ | 13.8¢ |
| Mississippi | 13.6¢/kWh | 0.2¢ | 12.4¢ |
| Missouri | 12.6¢/kWh | 0.2¢ | 11.5¢ |
| Montana | 12.8¢/kWh | 0.2¢ | 11.7¢ |
| Nebraska | 12.1¢/kWh | 0.2¢ | 11.0¢ |
| Nevada | 15.4¢/kWh | 0.2¢ | 14.0¢ |
| New Hampshire | 25.2¢/kWh | 0.4¢ | 23.0¢ |
| New Jersey | 19.6¢/kWh | 0.3¢ | 17.9¢ |
| New Mexico | 14.6¢/kWh | 0.2¢ | 13.3¢ |
| New York | 24.6¢/kWh | 0.4¢ | 22.4¢ |
| North Carolina | 14.1¢/kWh | 0.2¢ | 12.9¢ |
| North Dakota | 11.2¢/kWh | 0.2¢ | 10.2¢ |
| Ohio | 16.3¢/kWh | 0.2¢ | 14.9¢ |
| Oklahoma | 12.2¢/kWh | 0.2¢ | 11.1¢ |
| Oregon | 14.8¢/kWh | 0.2¢ | 13.5¢ |
| Pennsylvania | 18.4¢/kWh | 0.3¢ | 16.8¢ |
| Rhode Island | 30.4¢/kWh | 0.5¢ | 27.7¢ |
| South Carolina | 14.7¢/kWh | 0.2¢ | 13.4¢ |
| South Dakota | 12.6¢/kWh | 0.2¢ | 11.5¢ |
| Tennessee | 13.2¢/kWh | 0.2¢ | 12.0¢ |
| Texas | 15.6¢/kWh | 0.2¢ | 14.2¢ |
| Utah | 11.7¢/kWh | 0.2¢ | 10.7¢ |
| Vermont | 21.6¢/kWh | 0.3¢ | 19.7¢ |
| Virginia | 14.6¢/kWh | 0.2¢ | 13.3¢ |
| Washington | 12.3¢/kWh | 0.2¢ | 11.2¢ |
| West Virginia | 14.8¢/kWh | 0.2¢ | 13.5¢ |
| Wisconsin | 17.2¢/kWh | 0.3¢ | 15.7¢ |
| Wyoming | 11.8¢/kWh | 0.2¢ | 10.8¢ |
FAQ
How much electricity does a phone charger use?+
A typical phone charger draws 10–20 W while fast-charging. At one full charge/day, that's about 0.0 kWh per day.
How much does a phone charger cost to run per month?+
About 15.4¢ per month at the US average residential rate of 16.9¢/kWh — ranging from roughly 10.2¢ in North Dakota to 38.4¢ in Hawaii.
Is it expensive to leave a phone charger on?+
Running it costs about 0.3¢ per hour at average rates. Multiply by your actual hours — and check your state's rate above, since electricity prices vary almost 4× across the US.