How much does it cost to run a phone charging? (2026 price cap)

Typical rating and how we worked this out

This page uses a typical rating of 6W for a phone charging; published figures for this appliance range from 4W to 7W. A modern phone charger draws around 4–7W and takes roughly one-and-a-half to two-and-a-half hours to fully charge a phone from empty, using a tiny fraction of a kWh — one of the cheapest things to power in the home. The running cost follows the same formula used across this site: watts ÷ 1,000 × hours × unit rate. Typical use is modelled as a full charge most nights, 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:

East Midlands is cheapest at £1.38 a year; Merseyside and Northern Wales is most expensive at £1.52 a year — a gap of 14p for identical use.

How a phone charging compares with similar appliances

Ranked by typical annual cost in garden & other, GB average:

• phone charging — £1.44 a year (this page)
• hair straighteners — £2.40 a year
• robot vacuum — £2.51 a year
• pressure washer — £2.57 a year
• electric leaf blower — £5.70 a year
• sewing machine — £6.48 a year

Three practical ways to cut the cost

1. Unplug the charger when not charging rather than leaving it in the socket
2. Charge overnight on a standard charger if speed isn't essential — fast chargers draw more power for a shorter time for a similar total energy
3. Avoid oversized fast-chargers for a phone that doesn't support fast charging

FAQs

How much does it cost to run a phone charging for an hour?

0.2p at the GB-average rate (26.32p/kWh, 6W). One typical use — a full charge most nights — costs closer to 0.4p.

How much does a phone charging cost to run per year?

Around £1.44 a year at the GB-average rate, assuming a full charge most nights — about 2.8p a week.

Which UK region is cheapest to run a phone charging in?

East Midlands, at £1.38 a year, against £1.52 in Merseyside and Northern Wales — 14p apart for identical use, purely from the regional rate.

Does the exact wattage of my phone charging change the cost much?

Yes — ratings range 4W–7W, so the top of that range costs about 1.8x the bottom. This page uses 6W; 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

• Daftlogic — power consumption of typical household appliances — 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.