Appliance Wattage & Running Cost
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How many watts does a laser printer use? (500 W)

A laser printer uses about 500 W
Typical range 300–800 watts, plus ~5 W on standby.

Running cost calculator

Per hour
Per day
Per month
Per year
Energy/mo

A laser printer spikes in power when the fuser heats up to print, then settles to a low standby draw between jobs.

Laser printer power specs

Typical running power500 W
Typical range300–800 W
Standby draw5 W
Energy use0.15 kWh/day · 4.5 kWh/mo

What affects the wattage

Running cost at $0.17/kWh

Electricity ratePer dayPer monthPer year
$0.10/kWh$0.02$0.45$5.48
$0.15/kWh$0.02$0.67$8.21
$0.20/kWh$0.03$0.90$10.95
$0.25/kWh$0.04$1.13$13.69
$0.30/kWh$0.05$1.35$16.43
$0.40/kWh$0.06$1.80$21.90

See the full breakdown of what it costs to run a laser printer, or what size power station runs a laser printer.

FAQ

How many watts does a laser printer use?

About 300-800 watts while printing, only a few watts idle.

Why does my printer use power when idle?

It keeps the fuser warm so the first page prints quickly.