Your workshop. Your data.

How to calculate 3D printer electricity costs

Electricity cost is energy used in kilowatt-hours (kWh) multiplied by your price per kWh. A printer power rating in watts alone does not tell you what one print costs.

Estimate from time and average power

Energy (kWh) = print hours × average watts ÷ 1,000.
Electricity cost = energy × tariff per kWh.

Illustrative example: 10 hours at an average 150 W uses 1.5 kWh. At CHF 0.30/kWh, that costs CHF 0.45. These numbers are assumptions, not a measured Bambu P1S, H2C or other printer result.

Which watts should I enter?

Use a representative average for the job, not a power-supply maximum. The printer may draw different power during heating, printing and idle time. A maximum rating is a capacity figure; treating it as a constant measurement can distort the result. Different temperatures, accessories and working conditions can make a single generic figure misleading.

Use a measured energy total when available

With a suitable plug-in energy meter, note the cumulative kWh before and after the job. Subtract the starting reading from the ending reading, then multiply by your tariff. For example, 14.62 − 13.10 = 1.52 kWh; at CHF 0.30/kWh, the cost is CHF 0.456, displayed as CHF 0.46.

Decide what the measurement covers: include warm-up if you want the whole run, and record whether a dryer or other accessory is included. Use an appropriately rated meter according to its instructions. Reuse a measured average only as an estimate for future comparable jobs.

Do not count electricity twice

BenchTare accepts a time-and-power estimate, measured project kWh or a manually entered project electricity amount. The measured total replaces the estimate. It is not an extra charge on top. Automatic smart-plug reading is not currently included; you enter the measurement.

Electricity is one part of the build

Keep filament, failed attempts, machine allowance and hands-on work separate. When calculating a machine allowance, avoid including the same electricity again. Keep uncertain values marked as estimates rather than treating a calculated decimal as proof of accuracy.