How much does it cost to run a desktop PC? (2026 price cap)
At the GB-average Ofgem price cap for 1 October to 31 December 2026, a desktop PC rated at 140W costs 3.7p an hour to run and around £67.25 a year assuming 5 hours of use a day.
Per hour
3.7p
Per typical use
18p
Per day
18p
Per week
£1.29
Per year
£67.25
Typical rating and how we worked this out
This page uses a typical rating of 140W for a desktop PC; published figures for this appliance range from 100W to 250W. A basic office desktop without a dedicated graphics card typically draws 100–250W, rising toward the top of that range under sustained load such as video editing or exporting. The running cost follows the same formula used across this site: watts ÷ 1,000 × hours × unit rate. Typical use is modelled as 5 hours of use a day, which is how the per-day, per-week and per-year figures above were calculated — see the cost-to-run calculator to change the wattage, hours or region yourself.
Rate used: Ofgem price cap, 1 October to 31 December 2026, GB average electricity — 26.32p/kWh (excl. VAT, removed 1 Oct 2026–31 Mar 2027).
Cost by region
Same appliance, same use — ranked most to least expensive by region under the price cap:
| Region | Elec p/kWh | Cost per hour | Typical annual cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merseyside and Northern Wales | 27.86 | 3.9p | £71.18 |
| South Eastern England | 26.88 | 3.8p | £68.68 |
| Eastern England | 26.61 | 3.7p | £67.99 |
| London | 26.60 | 3.7p | £67.96 |
| South Western England | 26.58 | 3.7p | £67.91 |
| Southern Wales | 26.55 | 3.7p | £67.84 |
| North Western England | 26.49 | 3.7p | £67.68 |
| Southern England | 26.47 | 3.7p | £67.63 |
| Northern Scotland | 26.35 | 3.7p | £67.32 |
| Southern Scotland | 26.11 | 3.7p | £66.71 |
| West Midlands | 25.60 | 3.6p | £65.41 |
| Yorkshire | 25.60 | 3.6p | £65.41 |
| North Eastern England | 25.46 | 3.6p | £65.05 |
| East Midlands | 25.36 | 3.6p | £64.79 |
| Great Britain average | 26.32 | 3.7p | £67.25 |
East Midlands is cheapest at £64.79 a year; Merseyside and Northern Wales is most expensive at £71.18 a year — a gap of £6.39 for identical use.
How a desktop PC compares with similar appliances
Ranked by typical annual cost in entertainment & office, GB average:
- desktop PC — £67.25 a year (this page)
- 65-inch OLED TV — £67.25 a year
- 55-inch OLED TV — £52.84 a year
- games console (PlayStation 5-class) — £38.43 a year
- 55-inch LED TV — £36.03 a year
- games console (Xbox Series X-class) — £34.58 a year
Three practical ways to cut the cost
- Enable sleep mode after a short period of inactivity rather than leaving the PC running
- Turn off the monitor separately if you step away
- Use a balanced power plan rather than "high performance" for everyday office work
FAQs
- How much does it cost to run a desktop PC for an hour?
- 3.7p at the GB-average rate (26.32p/kWh, 140W). One typical use — 5 hours of use a day — costs closer to 18p.
- How much does a desktop PC cost to run per year?
- Around £67.25 a year at the GB-average rate, assuming 5 hours of use a day — about £1.29 a week.
- Which UK region is cheapest to run a desktop PC in?
- East Midlands, at £64.79 a year, against £71.18 in Merseyside and Northern Wales — £6.39 apart for identical use, purely from the regional rate.
- Does the exact wattage of my desktop PC change the cost much?
- Yes — ratings range 100W–250W, so the top of that range costs about 2.5x the bottom. This page uses 140W; check your own rating plate.
- Does the October 2026 price cap affect this figure?
- Yes — figures use the Ofgem cap for 1 October to 31 December 2026. Electricity excludes VAT (removed 1 Oct 2026–31 Mar 2027); gas includes 5%. See the price cap page for the full breakdown.
Sources
- EnergySage — how many watts does a computer use — wattage and usage figures for this appliance.
- Ofgem — Energy price cap unit rates and standing charges (regional tables, read 12 September 2026).
Related
- Cost-to-run calculator and full A–Z — check any appliance or enter a custom wattage.
- Energy price cap, 1 October to 31 December 2026 — every region, every payment method.
- Back-billing calculator — if a bill for this or any appliance looks like it covers too many months.
- Free bill audit — if your overall energy costs look high regardless of any one appliance.
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