Mobile & Electronics

Monitor Power Cost Calculator

What a monitor costs to run a month, from the wattage on its own label rather than a figure for its size.

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Your figures

On the label on the back or in the manual, usually as "typical" and "maximum". Use the typical figure.

Use fewer for something you only run at weekends.

Rupees per unit (kWh), from your own bill. Tariffs differ by state, by connection and by how much you use, so this is the figure the result is most sensitive to.

Try an example

Result

Your result

Enter your figures and the result appears here.

Estimates only. Rates, fees and specifications change. Confirm against the official source before you rely on a figure — see our disclaimer.

About this calculator

A monitor is a small running cost with a large range. Two 27-inch screens can differ threefold depending on the panel technology, the backlight and how bright you run it — which is why the figure has to come from your own label rather than from its size.

With two or three screens on a desk for eight hours a day, the total stops being negligible, which is the case this calculator is actually for.

How to use this calculator

  1. Find the wattage on the label on the back of the monitor, or in the manual. Most give a "typical" and a "maximum" figure — use typical.
  2. Enter the hours a day it is on. Screens usually sleep rather than switching off, so use active hours.
  3. Set the quantity if you run more than one, and enter your rate per unit.

The formula

Units a day  = Watts x Quantity x Hours / 1000
Cost a month = Units a day x Days x Rate

The typical figure on a label is measured at a standard brightness, commonly well below maximum. Running a screen at full brightness pushes consumption toward the maximum figure, and on a bright panel the gap between the two is considerable.

SymbolMeaningUnit
P Monitor power draw W
Quantity Number of screens
Hours Active hours a day h

Worked example

A 28 W monitor, 8 hours a day, at ₹8.50 a unit:

Units a day  = 28 x 8 / 1000 = 0.224
Cost a month = 0.224 x 30 x 8.50 = Rs 57.12

Two of them: about ₹114 a month, or ₹1,371 a year.

Notes and limits

  • Brightness is the biggest lever. Running a screen at 50% rather than 100% can cut its consumption substantially, and on most desks it is more comfortable anyway.
  • Panel technology matters. An OLED screen's consumption depends on what is being displayed; an LCD's depends mostly on the backlight.
  • Sleep is not off. A sleeping monitor still draws a watt or so, and a switched-off one at the wall draws nothing.
  • No monitor's specification is shipped here. Screens of the same size vary too much for a figure by size to be honest.

What this calculation assumes

  • The typical wattage from the label is drawn for the whole of the active time.
  • Sleep and standby consumption are not included.
  • Brightness affects the real figure substantially and is not modelled.

Frequently asked questions

How much electricity does a monitor use?

Typically 15 to 60 watts depending on size, panel and brightness. A 24-inch office LCD is often around 20 W; a large bright panel can be three times that. Use the label on the back rather than a figure for the size.

Does lowering brightness save much?

On an LCD, yes - the backlight is most of the consumption, so halving brightness makes a real difference. On an OLED it depends on what is on screen, since dark content already uses less.

Should I use the typical or maximum wattage?

Typical, unless you run the screen at full brightness. The maximum figure is measured at full brightness with a worst-case image and is not what a normal working day looks like.

Is it worth switching a monitor off rather than letting it sleep?

Marginally. Sleep is around a watt, so switching off saves roughly 24 watt-hours a day - a few rupees a month. Worth doing for a long absence, not worth worrying about for a lunch break.

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