3D Print Electricity Cost Calculator
Choose your printer, then enter the print time and your electricity price.
Your measurements
Pick your printer and enter the print time and your electricity price. Everything updates as you type.
Electricity
Typical average draw, estimated. A plug-in power meter gives your printer's real figure.
Filament left (optional)
Typical density for this material. Use your filament's data sheet if it gives one.
Most printers use 1.75 mm; some, such as Ultimaker, use 2.85 mm. It is printed on the spool label.
Spool
Reusable spool with cardboard core as shipped: 233–250 g reported (midpoint used). The bare reusable spool is about 208–216 g and older gen-1 spools about 251–264 g.
Put the spool, with its filament, on a kitchen scale.
Rough fill level
Results
Electricity for this print
= 0.88 kWh
110 W (an estimated average for the Bambu Lab P1S) for 8 h is 0.88 kWh, at $0.16 per kWh. Add the filament from your slicer's gram estimate.
- Cost per hour
- $0.018
- 110 W at $0.16/kWh
- PLA (Polylactic Acid) left
- 335.3m
- = 1100.1 ft
- 1000 g of filament on the spool
Check before you cut (2)
- Empty spools from this brand vary by about ±9 g, so the remaining length could be off by about ±3 m. Weigh one of your own empty spools and enter it for an exact figure.
- 1.24 g/cm³ is a typical density for PLA (Polylactic Acid). Brands differ by a few percent, and the length changes by the same percentage. Use the density on your filament's data sheet if you have it.
How this was calculated
Weight to length, with your numbers.
How this was calculated
Weight to length, with your numbers.
Step 1: Subtract the empty spool
W_net = W_total − W_spool
= 1242 g − 242 g
= 1000 g of filamentBambu Lab (reusable spool, as shipped) spools are taken as 242 g (233–250 g reported). A ±9 g spread changes the answer by about 3 m.
Step 2: Cross-section of 1.75 mm filament
A = π × (d ÷ 20)²
= π × (0.0875 cm)²
= 0.024053 cm²The diameter in millimetres is halved and converted to centimetres so the units match the density in g/cm³.
Step 3: Length from weight
L = W_net ÷ (ρ × A × 100)
= 1000 g ÷ (1.24 g/cm³ × 0.024053 cm² × 100)
= 335.3 mDividing by density and cross-section gives centimetres; ÷100 gives metres. A density that is 2% off makes the length 2% off.
Step 4: Electricity for the print
Cost = watts × hours ÷ 1000 × price per kWh
= 110 W × 8 h ÷ 1000 × $0.16
= $0.14110 W is an estimated average for the Bambu Lab P1S. A plug-in power meter gives your printer's real figure.
Sources
PLA (Polylactic Acid): density
EstimatedTypical value, not from a maker's document. Measure or confirm before relying on it.
Bambu Lab (reusable spool, as shipped): empty spool weight
From sourceFrom a published reference; brands and batches vary. Checked 23 Oct 2026.
- LayerTune: empty filament spool weights by brand (community readings) (Bambu Lab reusable spool + cardboard core, as shipped: 233–250 g (source: filamentcalcs.com)), opened 23 Oct 2026
In short
Electricity cost = watts × hours ÷ 1000 × rate. A 10-hour print at 110 W and $0.16/kWh costs about $0.18.
Printer wattages are typical estimates; a plug-in power meter gives your real figure.
Typical printer power draw (estimates)
Average and peak watts are typical estimates, not measured or maker figures. Cost per hour uses the example rate of $0.16/kWh.
| Printer | Average | Peak (heat-up) | Per hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| AnkerMake M5 | ~130 W | ~450 W | $0.021 |
| AnkerMake M5C | ~105 W | ~350 W | $0.017 |
| Anycubic Chiron | ~240 W | ~650 W | $0.038 |
| Anycubic Kobra 2 Max | ~220 W | ~600 W | $0.035 |
| Anycubic Kobra 2 Neo | ~80 W | ~280 W | $0.013 |
| Anycubic Kobra 2 Plus | ~140 W | ~450 W | $0.022 |
| Anycubic Kobra 2 Pro | ~105 W | ~380 W | $0.017 |
| Anycubic Kobra 3 Combo | ~115 W | ~400 W | $0.018 |
| Anycubic Photon Mono 2 | ~45 W | ~80 W | $0.007 |
| Anycubic Photon Mono M5s (Resin) | ~70 W | ~120 W | $0.011 |
| Anycubic Vyper | ~85 W | ~350 W | $0.014 |
| Artillery Genius Pro | ~85 W | ~300 W | $0.014 |
| Artillery Sidewinder X2 | ~140 W | ~600 W | $0.022 |
| Artillery Sidewinder X4 Plus | ~150 W | ~550 W | $0.024 |
| Artillery Sidewinder X4 Pro | ~110 W | ~350 W | $0.018 |
| Bambu Lab A1 | ~90 W | ~280 W | $0.014 |
| Bambu Lab A1 Mini | ~60 W | ~150 W | $0.01 |
| Bambu Lab P1P | ~95 W | ~320 W | $0.015 |
| Bambu Lab P1S | ~110 W | ~350 W | $0.018 |
| Bambu Lab X1-Carbon (X1C) | ~125 W | ~1000 W | $0.02 |
| Bambu Lab X1E | ~180 W | ~1200 W | $0.029 |
| Creality CR-10 SE | ~100 W | ~350 W | $0.016 |
| Creality CR-10 Smart Pro | ~130 W | ~450 W | $0.021 |
| Creality CR-M4 | ~280 W | ~800 W | $0.045 |
| Creality Ender 3 S1 Plus | ~115 W | ~400 W | $0.018 |
| Creality Ender 3 S1 Pro | ~90 W | ~350 W | $0.014 |
| Creality Ender 3 V2 Neo | ~80 W | ~280 W | $0.013 |
| Creality Ender 3 V3 KE | ~95 W | ~350 W | $0.015 |
| Creality Ender 3 V3 Plus | ~120 W | ~450 W | $0.019 |
| Creality Ender 3 V3 SE | ~85 W | ~350 W | $0.014 |
| Creality Ender 5 S1 | ~110 W | ~450 W | $0.018 |
| Creality Halot-Mage Pro (Resin) | ~110 W | ~200 W | $0.018 |
| Creality K1 | ~115 W | ~350 W | $0.018 |
| Creality K1 Max | ~145 W | ~1000 W | $0.023 |
| Creality K1C | ~120 W | ~400 W | $0.019 |
| Creality K2 Plus | ~210 W | ~1200 W | $0.034 |
| Elegoo Centauri Carbon | ~130 W | ~500 W | $0.021 |
| Elegoo Mars 4 Ultra (Resin) | ~55 W | ~100 W | $0.009 |
| Elegoo Neptune 3 Max | ~190 W | ~550 W | $0.03 |
| Elegoo Neptune 3 Plus | ~125 W | ~450 W | $0.02 |
| Elegoo Neptune 3 Pro | ~85 W | ~300 W | $0.014 |
| Elegoo Neptune 4 | ~100 W | ~400 W | $0.016 |
| Elegoo Neptune 4 Max | ~210 W | ~600 W | $0.034 |
| Elegoo Neptune 4 Plus | ~140 W | ~500 W | $0.022 |
| Elegoo Neptune 4 Pro | ~105 W | ~450 W | $0.017 |
| Elegoo Saturn 3 (Resin) | ~80 W | ~160 W | $0.013 |
| Elegoo Saturn 4 Ultra (Resin) | ~90 W | ~180 W | $0.014 |
| Flashforge Adventurer 5M | ~110 W | ~350 W | $0.018 |
| Flashforge Adventurer 5M Pro | ~130 W | ~350 W | $0.021 |
| Flashforge Creator Pro 2 | ~150 W | ~400 W | $0.024 |
| Flashforge Guider 3 Plus | ~220 W | ~700 W | $0.035 |
| Flying Bear Ghost 6 | ~115 W | ~350 W | $0.018 |
| Formlabs Form 3+ (SLA) | ~120 W | ~220 W | $0.019 |
| Formlabs Form 4 (Resin) | ~160 W | ~300 W | $0.026 |
| Kingroon KLP1 | ~110 W | ~350 W | $0.018 |
| Kingroon KP3S Pro S1 | ~75 W | ~240 W | $0.012 |
| LDO Voron 0.2 Kit | ~55 W | ~150 W | $0.009 |
| LDO Voron 2.4 Kit | ~220 W | ~850 W | $0.035 |
| Modix BIG-60 V4 | ~380 W | ~1500 W | $0.061 |
| Peopoly Phenom XXL V2 (Resin) | ~220 W | ~350 W | $0.035 |
| Prusa i3 MK3S+ | ~80 W | ~220 W | $0.013 |
| Prusa Mini+ | ~55 W | ~160 W | $0.009 |
| Prusa MK4 | ~80 W | ~240 W | $0.013 |
| Prusa MK4S | ~85 W | ~250 W | $0.014 |
| Prusa Pro Core One | ~150 W | ~600 W | $0.024 |
| Prusa XL (2-Toolhead) | ~165 W | ~650 W | $0.026 |
| Prusa XL (5-Toolhead) | ~190 W | ~800 W | $0.03 |
| Prusa XL (Single Toolhead) | ~140 W | ~500 W | $0.022 |
| QIDI Q1 Pro | ~180 W | ~750 W | $0.029 |
| QIDI Tech X-Max 3 | ~240 W | ~900 W | $0.038 |
| QIDI Tech X-Plus 3 | ~190 W | ~800 W | $0.03 |
| QIDI Tech X-Smart 3 | ~95 W | ~350 W | $0.015 |
| Raise3D E2 | ~170 W | ~450 W | $0.027 |
| Raise3D Pro3 | ~240 W | ~800 W | $0.038 |
| Raise3D Pro3 Plus | ~280 W | ~950 W | $0.045 |
| RatRig V-Core 3.1 300mm | ~180 W | ~750 W | $0.029 |
| RatRig V-Core 3.1 400mm | ~240 W | ~900 W | $0.038 |
| RatRig V-Core 3.1 500mm | ~310 W | ~1200 W | $0.05 |
| RatRig V-Minion | ~65 W | ~200 W | $0.01 |
| Snapmaker Artisan 3-in-1 | ~220 W | ~800 W | $0.035 |
| Snapmaker J1 / J1s | ~160 W | ~450 W | $0.026 |
| Sovol SV06 | ~80 W | ~280 W | $0.013 |
| Sovol SV06 Plus | ~125 W | ~450 W | $0.02 |
| Sovol SV07 | ~95 W | ~350 W | $0.015 |
| Sovol SV07 Plus | ~140 W | ~500 W | $0.022 |
| Sovol SV08 | ~230 W | ~850 W | $0.037 |
| Tronxy Moore 2 Pro (Ceramic) | ~60 W | ~150 W | $0.01 |
| Tronxy X5SA Pro | ~140 W | ~450 W | $0.022 |
| Two Trees Sapphire Plus | ~120 W | ~380 W | $0.019 |
| Two Trees SK1 | ~130 W | ~400 W | $0.021 |
| UltiMaker 2+ Connect | ~120 W | ~350 W | $0.019 |
| UltiMaker S5 | ~190 W | ~550 W | $0.03 |
| UltiMaker S7 | ~210 W | ~600 W | $0.034 |
| Voron 0.2 Pro | ~55 W | ~150 W | $0.009 |
| Voron 2.4 250mm | ~150 W | ~600 W | $0.024 |
| Voron 2.4 300mm | ~190 W | ~750 W | $0.03 |
| Voron 2.4 350mm | ~230 W | ~850 W | $0.037 |
| Voron Switchwire | ~90 W | ~300 W | $0.014 |
| Voron Trident 250mm | ~140 W | ~600 W | $0.022 |
| Voron Trident 300mm | ~180 W | ~750 W | $0.029 |
| Voron Trident 350mm | ~220 W | ~850 W | $0.035 |
Worked example: a 10-hour print
Using the Bambu Lab P1S estimate and an example electricity rate.
Step 1: Energy used
kWh = watts × hours ÷ 1000
= 110 W × 10 h ÷ 1000
= 1.1 kWh110 W is our estimate of the Bambu Lab P1S's average draw while printing. Heating up draws more; holding temperature draws less.
Step 2: Cost of that energy
cost = kWh × rate
= 1.1 kWh × $0.16/kWh
= $0.18$0.16/kWh is only an example. Use the rate on your own bill.
Step 3: Add the filament
print cost = electricity + grams used × price per gram
= e.g. 120 g × ($20 ÷ 1000 g)
= $2.40 of filamentThis page works out electricity only. Add the filament from your slicer's gram estimate and your spool price; for most prints it costs more than the power.
Print electricity cost: common questions
Power draw, cost per print and where the numbers come from.
How much electricity does a 3D printer use?
It depends mostly on the heated bed, the nozzle temperature and whether the printer is enclosed. The typical estimates in our table run from 45 W to 380 W on average while printing (median 125 W), with higher peaks while heating up. A plug-in power meter shows your own printer's real figure.
How much does a 10-hour print cost in electricity?
At an average of 110 W, 10 hours is 1.1 kWh, or $0.18 at $0.16/kWh. Multiply your printer's average watts by the hours, divide by 1,000 and multiply by your rate.
Are the printer wattages measured?
No. The wattages listed here are typical estimates, not measurements or maker figures, which is why printers do not have their own pages. Measure your printer with a plug-in meter if you need an exact cost.