With energy costs going up in 2025, it's a good question for any maker, hobbyist, or small business owner: is your 3D printing hobby secretly making your electricity bill higher? You watch your printer work for ten, twenty, or even forty hours on one project, and it makes sense to wonder about the total cost.
Let's get straight to the point. For most users with common desktop Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) printers, the cost is surprisingly low. In most cases, running a 3D printer costs less per hour than running a modern gaming computer or even a microwave. We're usually talking about a cost between $0.05 and $0.25 per hour of printing.
This guide will go beyond simple guesses. We'll break down the exact numbers, show you exactly how to calculate your own printer's energy use, and give you a clear way to understand what factors affect that usage. By the end, you'll not only know the cost but also have practical ways to make it lower, putting you in complete control.
The Bottom Line
Before we look at the variables, let's set up a clear starting point. Power use for 3D printers is best measured in watts (W), and your electricity cost is measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh). Here are the typical power draw numbers you can expect.
The average power draw changes a lot based on the printer's technology and what it's doing:
- Hobbyist FDM Printer (e.g., printing PLA): After the initial heat-up, these printers average between 50 and 150 watts. The initial peak to get the nozzle and bed to temperature can be higher, but this is the steady draw.
- Larger/Enclosed FDM Printer (e.g., printing ABS): These need more power to heat larger beds and keep higher temperatures, averaging between 200 and 350 watts during a print.
- Resin (SLA/DLP) Printer: These are much more energy-efficient. Since they use LEDs or a laser to cure liquid resin instead of heat energy to melt plastic, their use is much lower, typically between 30 and 70 watts.
Based on a hypothetical 2025 average US electricity rate of $0.17 per kWh, here's what those numbers mean for your wallet:
- Cost per hour (Typical FDM): A printer averaging 120W costs about $0.02 per hour.
- Cost for a 10-hour print: That same printer running for 10 hours would cost about $0.20.
- Cost per month (Moderate Hobbyist): If you print for 40 hours a month, your total electricity cost would be around $0.82.
As you can see, the electricity cost is rarely the biggest expense in 3D printing.
The 7 Key Factors
The answer to "how much electricity does a 3d printer use" is always "it depends." Understanding the variables is key to managing use. Here are the seven main factors that determine your final cost.
1. Printer Type & Size
As we've established, the main technology of your printer is the biggest difference maker. FDM printers are the most common and use heating parts for both the nozzle (hotend) and the print surface (heated bed). These heaters are the main power users. Resin printers, by contrast, use low-power light sources (LED arrays or lasers) and small motors, resulting in much lower energy use.
On the industrial end of the range, Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) printers, which use powerful lasers to fuse powder, use much more energy and need a dedicated, high-power circuit, putting them in a completely different class from consumer machines.
2. The Heated Bed
Within the FDM world, the single biggest power user is the heated bed. The hotend nozzle is tiny and needs relatively little energy to keep at temperature. The bed, however, is a large aluminum plate that needs a lot of power to heat up and maintain its temperature, especially in open air.
This is why the material you print with has such a big impact. Printing PLA, which often needs a bed temperature of 60°C or can sometimes be printed with the bed off entirely, uses far less energy than printing ABS or ASA, which demand bed temperatures of 100°C or higher. The energy needed to maintain that 40°C+ difference over a long print is substantial.
3. Nozzle Temperature
While less of a user than the bed, the nozzle temperature still plays a role. Different filaments melt at different temperatures. PLA prints at a relatively cool 190-220°C. PETG needs a bit more heat, around 230-250°C. Materials like ABS, Nylon, or Polycarbonate push temperatures to 250-300°C or more.
The higher the temperature, the more energy the hotend's heater cartridge must use to maintain it. The printer's control board uses a process called PID tuning to constantly pulse power to the heater, keeping the temperature stable. A higher target temperature means these pulses are more frequent and of longer duration.
4. Print Duration & Complexity
This is straightforward: the longer a print runs, the more total energy (measured in kWh) it will use. A 20-hour print will use twice the energy of a 10-hour print, assuming all other variables are the same.
However, the power draw is not constant. A print has two main phases: the initial heat-up and the stable printing phase. During heat-up, the printer draws its maximum power as both the bed and nozzle heaters run at or near 100%. This might be 250W or more. Once at temperature, the power draw drops a lot as the heaters only need to pulse on and off to maintain heat. Your average use over the entire print will be much lower than the initial peak.
5. The Use of an Enclosure
Here's a point that seems counter-intuitive: adding an enclosure can actually reduce your overall energy use. This is especially true when printing high-temperature materials like ABS.
An enclosure traps the heat radiating from the heated bed, creating a stable, warm environment inside the printer. This has two effects. First, it prevents prints from warping. Second, it means the heated bed and nozzle don't have to work as hard to stay at their target temperatures. They are fighting against a 40°C enclosed environment instead of a 20°C open room, leading to less frequent heating cycles and lower average power use.
6. Ambient Room Temperature
The environment your printer operates in matters. A printer set up in a cold garage or basement during winter will have to use much more energy to heat its bed and nozzle compared to a printer in a climate-controlled office.
The greater the temperature difference between the printer's components and the surrounding air, the faster they lose heat and the more work the heaters must do to compensate. This directly translates to higher electricity use.
7. Printer Components & Upgrades
The heaters do the heavy lifting, but they aren't the only components drawing power. The total use also includes:
- Stepper motors moving the print head and bed.
- The main control board (the printer's brain).
- The LCD or touchscreen interface.
- Cooling fans (for the hotend, part cooling, and electronics).
- LED light strips or other cosmetic upgrades.
Individually, these are small users (a fan might use 1-2W, a board 5-10W). Collectively, they establish a baseline power draw that exists even when the heaters are off. Upgrading to more powerful mainboards or adding extensive lighting will increase this baseline.
How to Calculate Your Cost
Estimates are useful, but measuring your specific setup provides definitive answers. It's a simple, four-step process that makes your energy use clear.
Step 1: Find Power Rating
First, look at your printer's power supply unit (PSU). It will have a label listing its specifications, including a maximum wattage rating (e.g., 350W or 500W). You can also find this information in the printer's manual or on the manufacturer's website. It's important to understand that this is the absolute maximum power the PSU can provide; it is not the printer's average use. The printer will only draw as much power as it needs at any given moment.
Step 2: Measure Actual Use
The most accurate way to determine your printer's energy use is to measure it directly. The best tool for this is a simple and inexpensive electricity usage monitor, often called a power meter. These devices plug into the wall outlet, and you then plug your printer into the monitor.
As you run a typical print, the monitor will show you the real-time power draw in watts. For the most accurate calculation, let the monitor run for the duration of an entire print. It will not only show you the peak wattage during the initial heat-up but also track the total kilowatt-hours (kWh) used. For a good average, note the wattage after the initial heating phase is complete.
Step 3: Find Electricity Rate
Next, you need to know what you pay for electricity. Look at your most recent utility bill. You are looking for a line item that shows your cost per kilowatt-hour (kWh). This rate can vary dramatically based on your location, the time of day, and the season. For our examples, we are using a 2025 national average of $0.17/kWh, but using your specific rate will give you a precise cost.
Step 4: The Calculation Formula
With your data, the math is simple. The formula to calculate the cost of a single print is:
(Average Watts / 1000) × Hours of Printing × Cost per kWh = Total Print Cost
Let's walk through the example from the outline:
- Printer Average Wattage: 120 W (measured with a power meter during printing)
- Print Duration: 8 hours
- Electricity Rate: $0.17 per kWh (from your utility bill)
Calculation:
- Convert watts to kilowatts:
120 W / 1000 = 0.12 kW - Calculate total energy used:
0.12 kW × 8 hours = 0.96 kWh - Calculate the final cost:
0.96 kWh × $0.17/kWh = $0.1632
The result: a full 8-hour print on this machine costs just over 16 cents.
Real-World Scenarios in 2025
Let's apply this formula to a few common printing scenarios, using our $0.17/kWh rate.
Scenario 1: The Small Hobbyist Print
You're printing a classic 3D Benchy or a tabletop gaming miniature in PLA. The print is small and quick.
- Print: 3-hour PLA miniature.
- Assumptions: Heated bed at 60°C, 100W average use.
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Cost Breakdown:
(100W / 1000) * 3 hours * $0.17/kWh = $0.051. This print costs about 5 cents.
Scenario 2: The Long, Functional Print
You need a durable, functional part for a home repair or a personal project and have chosen PETG. This is a longer, more substantial print.
- Print: 15-hour PETG bracket.
- Assumptions: Heated bed at 80°C, 150W average use.
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Cost Breakdown:
(150W / 1000) * 15 hours * $0.17/kWh = $0.3825. This large project costs just over 38 cents.
Scenario 3: The High-Temperature Print
For a part that needs to withstand heat, you're using ABS inside an enclosure. This requires high temperatures for both the nozzle and the bed.
- Print: 12-hour ABS electronics case.
- Assumptions: Heated bed at 100°C, 250W average use (lower than it would be without an enclosure).
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Cost Breakdown:
(250W / 1000) * 12 hours * $0.17/kWh = $0.51. Even this demanding print costs only 51 cents.
Scenario 4: The Resin Print
You're printing a highly detailed model on a mid-size resin printer.
- Print: 6-hour resin statue.
- Assumptions: 50W average use from the LED screen and motor.
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Cost Breakdown:
(50W / 1000) * 6 hours * $0.17/kWh = $0.051. The cost is identical to the small FDM print, despite running for twice as long, showing the efficiency of resin printing.
Appliance Comparison
To put a 3D printer's energy use into perspective, it's helpful to compare it to other common household appliances.
- 3D Printer (FDM, average): ~120W
- Gaming PC (under load): ~400-600W
- Modern Refrigerator: ~150-200W (but cycles on and off)
- 60" LED TV: ~80-150W
- Microwave Oven: ~1200W
- Incandescent Light Bulb (old): 60W
A typical 3D printer uses about the same amount of power as a large television or a couple of old-fashioned light bulbs. It pulls much less power than a high-end gaming PC or a power-hungry appliance like a microwave. The cost of 3D printing comes from its long duration, not its high intensity.
8 Tips to Reduce Cost
While the cost is already low, you can reduce it even further. These eight tips will help you optimize your printer for maximum efficiency.
- Use an Enclosure: As discussed, an enclosure is the single best upgrade for reducing energy use, especially when printing with high-temperature filaments like ABS, ASA, or Nylon.
- Optimize Slicer Settings: A part with 100% infill takes much longer to print than one with 20% infill. Use only the infill density necessary for the part's function. Less print time directly equals less energy used.
- Print Multiple Parts at Once: The initial heat-up cycle uses a burst of energy. By filling your build plate and printing several parts at once, you only incur that heat-up cost one time, making each individual part more energy-efficient.
- Lower Bed Temperature: Many slicers allow you to set a higher bed temperature for the crucial first few layers and then lower it for the remainder of the print. Dropping from 60°C to 50°C after layer 10 can save a surprising amount of energy over a long print.
- Choose the Right Material: Don't use ABS if PLA will do the job. The energy required to keep a bed at 100°C instead of 60°C is substantial. Matching the material to the application is key to efficiency.
- Insulate Your Heated Bed: A simple and effective modification is to add a layer of cork or foam insulation to the underside of your heated bed. This reduces heat loss downwards and helps the bed maintain temperature with less effort.
- Print in a Warmer Room: If possible, avoid running your printer in a very cold environment. A warmer ambient temperature reduces the thermal load on the printer's heaters.
- Turn Off the Printer When Idle: Modern printers have a low idle power draw, but it isn't zero. Once a print is finished, don't leave the machine on overnight. Turn it off to save that standby power.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Do 3D printers use a lot of electricity when idle?
A: No. When idle (on but not heating or printing), a typical 3D printer uses only 5-15 watts. This is similar to many other electronic devices in standby mode, like a television or a computer monitor.
Q: Is it cheaper to 3D print an object than to buy it?
A: From a pure electricity cost perspective, the answer is almost always yes. The electricity cost for printing an object is usually just a few cents. The primary costs are the filament material and the cost of the printer itself. For many custom or hard-to-find parts, printing is far more cost-effective than buying.
Q: Does a bigger 3D printer use more electricity?
A: Generally, yes. The main reason is that a larger build volume requires a larger heated bed. A 300x300mm bed has more than double the surface area of a 200x200mm bed and requires much more power to heat and maintain its temperature.
Q: How much power does a resin 3D printer's wash and cure station use?
A: Very little. A typical wash and cure station uses low-power components. The magnetic stirrer or motor in the wash station and the UV LEDs in the cure station combined usually draw between 20-40 watts. Since they only run for a few minutes per print, their total energy use is negligible.
Final Thoughts
3D printing is an empowering technology that brings digital designs to life, and for most users, it is not an energy-intensive hobby. The electricity required to run a desktop printer is a very small fraction of the overall expense, much smaller compared to the cost of filament, resin, and the machine itself.
By understanding the key factors that influence power use—from material choice to ambient temperature—and by applying simple optimization strategies, you have complete control over your printer's energy footprint. So, go ahead and start that next big project. You can print creatively and confidently without worrying about a surprise on your next electricity bill.