How the electricity cost is calculated
A printer drawing 120 W for 5 hours uses 0.6 kWh. At 0.30 per kWh that costs 0.18 in your currency. Electricity is usually a small part of a print’s cost, but it adds up for long prints and print farms.
Why average power matters, not the power supply rating
The number on a printer’s power supply (often 350 W or more) is its maximum. A printer only draws close to that while the bed and hotend heat up. Once at temperature, the heaters cycle on and off, and the average falls well below the rating.
- Heating the bed is the largest load. Hotter beds for ABS or ASA raise the average considerably.
- An enclosure keeps heat in, which can lower the bed’s power use in a cold room.
- Room temperature matters: the same print uses more energy in a cold garage than in a warm office.
- Resin printers draw much less, mostly for the UV light and screen.
Using the power supply rating can overestimate electricity cost by two or three times. A plug-in energy meter costs little and gives you an exact figure for your machine and settings.
Typical average power draw
| Printer type | Average while printing | During heat-up |
|---|---|---|
| Small open printer, PLA | 70–110 W | 200–300 W |
| Mid-size open printer, PLA/PETG | 100–150 W | 250–400 W |
| Enclosed printer, ABS/ASA | 150–300 W | 350–600 W |
| Large-format printer | 250–500 W | 500 W+ |
| Resin (MSLA) printer | 30–70 W | 30–70 W |
These are typical ranges, not specifications. Your printer’s real figure depends on bed size, temperatures and the room. Measure it for accurate results.
Frequently asked questions
How much electricity does a 3D printer use?
Most home FDM printers average 70–150 W while printing PLA, so a 10-hour print uses roughly 0.7–1.5 kWh. Printers with large heated beds or enclosures printing ABS use more.
Is it expensive to leave a 3D printer running overnight?
Usually not. At 120 W, an 8-hour overnight print uses about 1 kWh. Multiply by your price per kWh to see the cost. Safety matters more than cost: use a printer with thermal runaway protection and never leave it unattended without a smoke alarm nearby.
Does a 3D printer use power when idle?
A little. An idle printer with heaters off draws only a few watts for the board, screen and fans. A printer left with the bed heated draws much more, so turn heaters off between prints.
How do I measure my printer’s power use?
Plug the printer into an energy-monitoring plug, reset it, and run a full print. Divide the kWh shown by the print hours and multiply by 1000 to get the average watts.
Last reviewed October 2026. See how we calculate.