How Much Electricity Does a Printer Use?
How much electricity does a printer use? 20 to 50 watts for inkjet, 500 to 600 for laser. Enter yours below for the exact cost.
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Printer electricity cost calculator
Enter your rate to see your estimate.
How the math works: 35 W × 0.1 hours ÷ 1,000 = 0.0035 kWh. × $0.165 per kWh (the 2024 U.S. average) = a small fraction of a cent per day of light printing (6 minutes).
An inkjet printer draws a modest 20 to 50 watts while printing, while a laser printer draws a much higher 500 to 600 watts, since its fuser has to heat toner onto the page. Either way, printers usually run for only a few minutes at a time, so the actual cost per use stays small.
| Printer type | Typical watts |
|---|---|
| Inkjet | 20-50 W |
| Laser | 500-600 W |
What affects how much electricity a printer uses
- Printer type: the biggest factor. An inkjet sprays liquid ink and needs little power, while a laser printer's heated fuser, which melts toner onto the page, pushes its wattage far higher.
- How much you print: a printer only draws its running wattage while printing. The rest of the time it sits at a much lower standby draw.
- Size and speed: larger-format or faster models in either category generally use somewhat more than compact home printers.
How to reduce your printer's electricity use
- Batch print jobs together rather than sending pages one at a time throughout the day, since each print job also involves a warm-up period
- Use draft or eco print mode when you don't need full print quality, which can also reduce ink or toner use
- Set the printer to enter sleep or standby mode automatically between print jobs instead of staying fully powered on
- Choose an inkjet over a laser printer for low-volume home use, if wattage is a bigger concern than print speed
Typical wattage figure: roughly 20-50 W for an inkjet printer; 500-600 W for a laser printer while actively printing. Source: Jackery: Appliance Wattage Chart. (This is a commonly cited estimate, not a government-published figure.) This is a commonly cited commercial estimate, not a government-published figure. A laser printer's fuser (which heats toner onto the page) is why it draws so much more than an inkjet while printing; both sit much lower in standby. We review this figure periodically and update it if the source changes; last checked September 2026. Cedrick Reese built this printer cost calculator and rechecks the wattage figure against the source above.
Frequently asked questions
How many watts does a printer use?
An inkjet printer draws roughly 20 to 50 watts while printing, and a laser printer draws roughly 500 to 600 watts while printing, based on a commonly cited commercial wattage reference chart. The gap comes down to the laser printer's heated fuser, which an inkjet doesn't have.
How much does it cost to run a printer?
A 35-watt inkjet printer run for 6 minutes a day at the U.S. average rate of about 16.5 cents/kWh costs a fraction of a cent per day. A laser printer used the same amount costs more per minute of active printing, but both stay low overall since printers rarely run continuously. Use the calculator above with your own printer's wattage and typical use for an exact figure.
Why does a laser printer use so much more electricity than an inkjet?
A laser printer's fuser has to heat up to melt toner powder onto the page, which takes far more power than an inkjet's process of simply spraying liquid ink. That heating step is the main reason laser printers draw hundreds of watts while inkjets draw tens of watts.
How can I reduce how much electricity my printer uses?
Batch print jobs together instead of printing one page at a time throughout the day, since each job involves a warm-up period, and set the printer to sleep automatically between uses instead of leaving it fully powered on at all times.
This page provides estimates based on a commonly cited commercial wattage reference chart, not a government-published figure, and the numbers you enter. Actual electricity cost depends on whether you have an inkjet or laser printer and how much you print.