How Much Electricity Does a 3D Printer Use? (Cost Per Hour + Per Print)
A 3D printer is not particularly expensive to run per hour — but a 10-hour print on a 350W machine adds up. This guide gives you the exact electricity cost for the most popular printers, explains the formula, and shows you how much to add to your print pricing. Figures for UK, US, and EU.
Quick Reference: Electricity Cost Per Hour
| Printer | Wattage (printing) | UK cost/hr (£0.34/kWh) | US cost/hr ($0.12/kWh) | EU cost/hr (€0.25/kWh) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bambu A1 Mini | 180W | £0.061 | $0.022 | €0.045 |
| Ender-3 V3 | 200W | £0.068 | $0.024 | €0.050 |
| Prusa Mini+ | 120W | £0.041 | $0.014 | €0.030 |
| Prusa MK4 | 240W | £0.082 | $0.029 | €0.060 |
| Bambu P1S | 350W | £0.119 | $0.042 | €0.088 |
| Bambu X1 Carbon | 400W | £0.136 | $0.048 | €0.100 |
| Creality K1 | 350W | £0.119 | $0.042 | €0.088 |
| Voron Trident 250 | 450W | £0.153 | $0.054 | €0.113 |
Enter your exact printer wattage and local electricity rate in the electricity calculator for a precise figure.
The Formula
Electricity cost = (Printer watts ÷ 1,000) × print hours × rate per kWh
Example (UK): (200W ÷ 1,000) × 3 hours × £0.34 = £0.204
Example (US): (200W ÷ 1,000) × 3 hours × $0.12 = $0.072
One kWh = running a 1,000W appliance for 1 hour. A 200W printer runs for 5 hours to use 1 kWh.
Heat-up Phase vs Printing Phase
Printers draw different power during heating vs printing. During heat-up (first 5–15 minutes), a printer typically draws 60–80% of peak wattage as it heats the bed and hotend simultaneously. During printing, most printers average 60–80% of rated maximum since the heaters are cycling on/off to maintain temperature.
Practical implication: the first 10 minutes of a print is electricity-heavier than the rest. For short prints under 30 minutes, the heat-up cost is proportionally large. For 8-hour prints, it's negligible.
| Print duration | Heat-up as % of total electricity cost |
|---|---|
| 20 minutes | ~25–35% |
| 1 hour | ~12–18% |
| 3 hours | ~5–8% |
| 8 hours | ~2–3% |
How Much Does a Full Day of Printing Cost?
Scenario: 8 hours printing per day.
| Printer | Daily electricity cost (UK) | Daily electricity cost (US) | Monthly (UK) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prusa Mini+ (120W) | £0.33 | $0.12 | £9.79 |
| Bambu A1 Mini (180W) | £0.49 | $0.17 | £14.69 |
| Ender-3 V3 (200W) | £0.54 | $0.19 | £16.32 |
| Prusa MK4 (240W) | £0.65 | $0.23 | £19.58 |
| Bambu P1S (350W) | £0.95 | $0.34 | £28.56 |
Even the highest-wattage printer on this list costs under £1/day to run. For print farm operators running 5 machines, multiply accordingly — see the print farm calculator.
Electricity Cost vs Other 3D Printing Costs
For a 3-hour, 80g PLA print:
| Cost component | Amount (UK) | % of total cost |
|---|---|---|
| Filament (80g PLA) | £2.00 | 40% |
| Electricity (180W, 3h) | £0.18 | 4% |
| Depreciation (Bambu A1) | £0.30 | 6% |
| Labour (20 mins @ £15/hr) | £5.00 | 50% |
Electricity is almost never your biggest cost — labour is. But it's still worth calculating correctly, especially for high-wattage enclosed printers on long prints. Use our cost to 3D print guide for the full breakdown.
How to Reduce Your 3D Printing Electricity Cost
- Print overnight on off-peak tariffs — Economy 7 and similar time-of-use tariffs can halve your electricity rate during overnight hours.
- Use a lower-wattage printer for small parts — Prusa Mini+ at 120W vs Bambu P1S at 350W — same 50g print, very different electricity cost.
- Increase infill strategically — higher infill = longer print = more electricity. For decorative items, 10–15% infill is usually sufficient.
- Consolidate prints — running 4 small prints as one batch is more efficient than 4 separate heat-up cycles.
- Use a smart plug to measure actual consumption — rated wattage is the maximum draw; actual average draw is usually 50–70% of that.
Electricity Rates by Country (2026)
| Country / region | Avg rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | £0.34/kWh | Ofgem price cap, March 2026 |
| United States | $0.12–0.17/kWh | Varies by state; national avg ~$0.12 |
| European Union | €0.20–0.35/kWh | Varies widely; Germany ~€0.35, France ~€0.20 |
| Canada | CA$0.11–0.18/kWh | Varies by province |
| Australia | A$0.25–0.35/kWh | Varies by state |
The electricity calculator lets you enter a custom rate for your exact tariff.
FAQ
How much electricity does a 3D printer use per hour?
Between 0.1 and 0.55 kWh/hr depending on printer. Budget printers (120–200W): ~0.12–0.20 kWh/hr. Enclosed/performance printers (350–500W): 0.35–0.55 kWh/hr.
How much does it cost to run a 3D printer per month?
At 4 hours/day, a 200W printer uses ~24 kWh/month. At UK rates (£0.34/kWh) = £8.16/month. At US rates ($0.12) = $2.88/month.
Does a heated bed use a lot of electricity?
Yes — heated beds draw 60–200W during heat-up and cycle on/off during printing. Printers with large heated beds (300×300mm+) use more electricity than smaller machines.
Is 3D printing more expensive to run than a dishwasher?
A typical dishwasher uses ~1.5 kWh per cycle. A 3-hour 200W 3D print uses ~0.6 kWh — less than half a dishwasher cycle.
Does print speed affect electricity cost?
Higher print speed = shorter print time = less total energy despite similar wattage. Faster printers like Bambu use more watts but finish prints in less time, so total cost per print can be similar or lower.
Calculate Your Exact Electricity Cost Per Print
Enter your printer's wattage, print time, and local rate. Get electricity cost per print and see how it fits into your total production cost.
Open Electricity Calculator →