Power Cost Calculator · Runs in your browser

Home server power cost calculator

By Tiny · how I pick

A home server runs 24/7, so its electricity cost is small but never stops, and it depends almost entirely on idle wattage. Enter your numbers below for an instant yearly and monthly figure. Nothing you type leaves your device.

These are typical idle figures. Pick the closest, then fine-tune the watts.
The number a plug-in energy meter shows at rest. This is what matters most.
On your utility bill. The EIA expects a US average of about $0.18 in 2026. It ranges from around $0.12 to well over $0.30.
A server is usually 24. Lower it if you don't run it around the clock.
per year
per month
per day
kWh per year

The comparison that matters: a "free" old desktop idling at 60 W costs about a year, while a $150 N100 mini PC idling at 10 W costs about . Over three years the desktop quietly burns roughly more in electricity, often a big chunk of what the mini PC would cost. "Free" hardware frequently isn't.

The formula, if you want it

Yearly cost = watts ÷ 1000 × hours-per-year × your rate. A machine on 24/7 sees 8,760 hours a year, so a 10 W box at $0.18/kWh works out to 10 ÷ 1000 × 8,760 × 0.18 ≈ $16 a year.

Why idle wattage beats the benchmark

Your server spends almost all its life idle, waiting for something to do. It only hits peak power for seconds at a time, during a video conversion, a backup, or an update. So the number that shapes your bill is the idle figure, not the max. Measure it with a cheap plug-in energy meter (under $25) rather than trusting a spec sheet, and you'll know your real number. For the full breakdown, see what a home server costs to run.

Lower your number

Want the lowest-power boxes that still do real work? The best mini PC under $300 and media server guides list idle draw for every pick, and the Server Calculator tells you what any machine can actually run.

Related guides