How much does it cost to run a home server?
A home server costs about 1.4¢ per hour, 35¢ a day, $10.51 a month and $126 a year at typical use (24 hours a day) and the U.S. average rate of 17.99¢/kWh. Servers run 24/7, so idle draw dominates: a repurposed desktop at 80 W uses about 700 kWh a year, an old rack server 1,500+ kWh.
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Cost by setting
| Setting | Watts | Per hour | Per day | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mini PC server | 15 | 0.3¢ | 6.5¢ | $1.97 | $24 |
| Repurposed desktop | 80 | 1.4¢ | 35¢ | $10.51 | $126 |
| Rack server | 180 | 3.2¢ | 78¢ | $23.66 | $284 |
At 24 hours a day and 17.99¢/kWh.
Cost by hours of use
| Hours per day | kWh/day | Per day | Per month | Per year (all year) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 hour | 0.08 | 1.4¢ | $0.44 | $5 |
| 2 hours | 0.16 | 2.9¢ | $0.88 | $11 |
| 4 hours | 0.32 | 5.8¢ | $1.75 | $21 |
| 8 hours | 0.64 | 12¢ | $3.50 | $42 |
| 12 hours | 0.96 | 17¢ | $5.26 | $63 |
| 24 hours | 1.92 | 35¢ | $10.51 | $126 |
Cost to run a home server in every state
The same home server costs $86 a year in North Dakota and $305 in Hawaii, at each state's average residential rate (12 months ending July 2026).
| State | Rate | Per hour | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Dakota | 12.32¢ | 1.0¢ | $7.20 | $86 |
| Idaho | 12.65¢ | 1.0¢ | $7.39 | $89 |
| Nebraska | 12.86¢ | 1.0¢ | $7.52 | $90 |
| Louisiana | 12.99¢ | 1.0¢ | $7.59 | $91 |
| Utah | 13.32¢ | 1.1¢ | $7.78 | $93 |
| Nevada | 13.36¢ | 1.1¢ | $7.81 | $94 |
| Arkansas | 13.43¢ | 1.1¢ | $7.85 | $94 |
| Tennessee | 13.56¢ | 1.1¢ | $7.92 | $95 |
| Oklahoma | 13.70¢ | 1.1¢ | $8.01 | $96 |
| Montana | 13.84¢ | 1.1¢ | $8.09 | $97 |
| Kentucky | 13.92¢ | 1.1¢ | $8.13 | $98 |
| Missouri | 13.95¢ | 1.1¢ | $8.15 | $98 |
| Wyoming | 14.01¢ | 1.1¢ | $8.19 | $98 |
| Washington | 14.12¢ | 1.1¢ | $8.25 | $99 |
| Iowa | 14.13¢ | 1.1¢ | $8.26 | $99 |
| South Dakota | 14.20¢ | 1.1¢ | $8.30 | $100 |
| Mississippi | 14.77¢ | 1.2¢ | $8.63 | $104 |
| North Carolina | 14.77¢ | 1.2¢ | $8.63 | $104 |
| Kansas | 15.09¢ | 1.2¢ | $8.82 | $106 |
| Georgia | 15.12¢ | 1.2¢ | $8.84 | $106 |
| New Mexico | 15.32¢ | 1.2¢ | $8.95 | $107 |
| Florida | 15.39¢ | 1.2¢ | $8.99 | $108 |
| Arizona | 15.40¢ | 1.2¢ | $9.00 | $108 |
| West Virginia | 15.48¢ | 1.2¢ | $9.05 | $109 |
| Oregon | 15.50¢ | 1.2¢ | $9.06 | $109 |
| South Carolina | 15.64¢ | 1.3¢ | $9.14 | $110 |
| Texas | 15.96¢ | 1.3¢ | $9.33 | $112 |
| Minnesota | 16.22¢ | 1.3¢ | $9.48 | $114 |
| Alabama | 16.44¢ | 1.3¢ | $9.61 | $115 |
| Virginia | 16.48¢ | 1.3¢ | $9.63 | $116 |
| Colorado | 16.58¢ | 1.3¢ | $9.69 | $116 |
| Indiana | 16.94¢ | 1.4¢ | $9.90 | $119 |
| Delaware | 17.79¢ | 1.4¢ | $10.40 | $125 |
| Ohio | 18.25¢ | 1.5¢ | $10.67 | $128 |
| Wisconsin | 18.74¢ | 1.5¢ | $10.95 | $131 |
| Illinois | 18.79¢ | 1.5¢ | $10.98 | $132 |
| Pennsylvania | 20.70¢ | 1.7¢ | $12.10 | $145 |
| Maryland | 21.03¢ | 1.7¢ | $12.29 | $147 |
| Michigan | 21.05¢ | 1.7¢ | $12.30 | $148 |
| New Jersey | 23.78¢ | 1.9¢ | $13.90 | $167 |
| Vermont | 23.80¢ | 1.9¢ | $13.91 | $167 |
| District of Columbia | 24.20¢ | 1.9¢ | $14.14 | $170 |
| New Hampshire | 26.67¢ | 2.1¢ | $15.59 | $187 |
| Alaska | 26.85¢ | 2.1¢ | $15.69 | $188 |
| Connecticut | 27.99¢ | 2.2¢ | $16.36 | $196 |
| New York | 28.39¢ | 2.3¢ | $16.59 | $199 |
| Rhode Island | 29.27¢ | 2.3¢ | $17.11 | $205 |
| Maine | 29.31¢ | 2.3¢ | $17.13 | $206 |
| Massachusetts | 30.43¢ | 2.4¢ | $17.78 | $213 |
| California | 32.99¢ | 2.6¢ | $19.28 | $231 |
| Hawaii | 43.51¢ | 3.5¢ | $25.43 | $305 |
How to cut the cost
- Replace old rack servers with a mini PC (Intel N100 class) idling at 6-10 W.
- Spin down idle hard drives after 20-30 minutes.
- Enable C-states and powersave CPU governor in BIOS/OS.
- Remove unused PCIe cards and drives; each adds 3-10 W around the clock.
Cheaper ways to get the job done
Runs Plex and containers at 6-15 W instead of 80-180 W.
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Compare with similar appliances
| Appliance | Watts | Typical use | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home server | 80 | 24 hours a day | $10.51 | $126 |
| NAS | 35 | 24 hours a day | $4.60 | $55 |
| Mac mini | 12 | 8 hours a day | $0.61 | $7 |
| Wi-Fi router | 10 | 24 hours a day | $1.31 | $16 |
| Desktop computer | 90 | 6 hours a day | $3.15 | $38 |
| iMac / all-in-one computer | 60 | 6 hours a day | $2.07 | $25 |
| Laptop | 40 | 6 hours a day | $1.36 | $16 |
Head-to-head comparisons
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to run a home server per hour?
A home server drawing 80 watts uses 0.08 kWh per hour. At the U.S. average of 17.99¢/kWh that's 1.4¢ per hour. In North Dakota (12.32¢) it's 1.0¢. In Hawaii (43.51¢) it's 3.5¢.
How much does it cost to run a home server per month?
At typical use (24 hours a day), a home server costs about $10.51 a month and $126 a year, at the U.S. average rate. Enter your ZIP in the calculator above for your utility's rate.
How many watts does a home server use?
Most home servers use 10 to 300 watts, depending on the setting (mini pc server 15 W, repurposed desktop 80 W, rack server 180 W). Check the label on the back or bottom for your model's exact rating.
How many kWh does a home server use?
About 1.92 kWh a day and 701 kWh a year at typical use (24 hours a day).
Does a home server use a lot of electricity?
It's a moderate load: 701 kWh a year is about 7% of the average U.S. home's yearly use.
Is it cheaper to run a home server or an NAS?
At typical use, a home server costs about $126 a year versus $55 for an NAS. So the NAS is cheaper by about $71 a year. Use the comparison table above to compare them at your own settings.
How can I lower the cost of running a home server?
- Replace old rack servers with a mini PC (Intel N100 class) idling at 6-10 W.
- Spin down idle hard drives after 20-30 minutes.
- Enable C-states and powersave CPU governor in BIOS/OS.
Rates updated 2026-10-21: EIA data through July 2026. Typical wattage and usage reviewed against DOE, ENERGY STAR and manufacturer specs. Methodology.