How much does it cost to run a home server or NAS?
A home server or NAS drawing 60 watts, running around the clock, uses about 1.44 kWh per day and costs about $0.28 per day, $8.51 per month, and $102.02 per year at the US average residential rate of 19.4¢/kWh. Enter your own wattage, hours, and state below for an exact figure.
Estimates only — based on typical wattages and average state rates, not your actual bill.
What drives the cost
A home NAS or server runs continuously, so even modest draw compounds into a meaningful annual figure. A two-bay consumer NAS idles around 25-40 watts; a repurposed desktop with several drives can sit above 100. Drive count matters more than most people expect, since each spinning disk adds a few watts around the clock.
Cost at different daily usage
Same home server or NAS at 60 watts, run for different amounts of time, at 19.4¢/kWh.
| Usage | kWh/day | Per day | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 h/day | 0.36 kWh | $0.07 | $2.13 | $25.50 |
| 12 h/day | 0.72 kWh | $0.14 | $4.25 | $51.01 |
| 18 h/day | 1.08 kWh | $0.21 | $6.38 | $76.51 |
| 24 h/day | 1.44 kWh | $0.28 | $8.51 | $102.02 |
Cost by model power draw
Not all models are equal. At 24 h/day, here is what the range costs.
| Model | Power | kWh/day | Per day | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low-draw model | 25 W | 0.60 kWh | $0.12 | $3.55 |
| Typical | 60 W | 1.44 kWh | $0.28 | $8.51 |
| High-draw model | 200 W | 4.80 kWh | $0.93 | $28.36 |
Cost by state
A home server or NAS at 60 W for 24 h/day, priced at each state's average residential rate.
| State | Rate | Per day | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 16.8¢ | $0.24 | $7.35 | $88.14 |
| Alaska | 28.2¢ | $0.41 | $12.37 | $148.38 |
| Arizona | 15.2¢ | $0.22 | $6.68 | $80.05 |
| Arkansas | 14.4¢ | $0.21 | $6.29 | $75.48 |
| California | 33.2¢ | $0.48 | $14.57 | $174.76 |
| Colorado | 16.2¢ | $0.23 | $7.08 | $84.94 |
| Connecticut | 27.4¢ | $0.39 | $12.00 | $143.86 |
| Delaware | 19.4¢ | $0.28 | $8.49 | $101.86 |
| District of Columbia | 25.4¢ | $0.37 | $11.13 | $133.50 |
| Florida | 15.2¢ | $0.22 | $6.65 | $79.73 |
| Georgia | 15.8¢ | $0.23 | $6.94 | $83.26 |
| Hawaii | 52.0¢ | $0.75 | $22.79 | $273.31 |
| Idaho | 12.3¢ | $0.18 | $5.41 | $64.91 |
| Illinois | 23.9¢ | $0.34 | $10.45 | $125.36 |
| Indiana | 18.1¢ | $0.26 | $7.96 | $95.40 |
| Iowa | 14.1¢ | $0.20 | $6.20 | $74.32 |
| Kansas | 15.1¢ | $0.22 | $6.63 | $79.52 |
| Kentucky | 15.0¢ | $0.22 | $6.57 | $78.73 |
| Louisiana | 14.2¢ | $0.20 | $6.20 | $74.37 |
| Maine | 28.6¢ | $0.41 | $12.55 | $150.48 |
| Maryland | 21.8¢ | $0.31 | $9.54 | $114.42 |
| Massachusetts | 28.8¢ | $0.42 | $12.63 | $151.48 |
| Michigan | 22.0¢ | $0.32 | $9.65 | $115.68 |
| Minnesota | 16.9¢ | $0.24 | $7.43 | $89.09 |
| Mississippi | 16.2¢ | $0.23 | $7.08 | $84.94 |
| Missouri | 13.7¢ | $0.20 | $6.00 | $71.90 |
| Montana | 14.7¢ | $0.21 | $6.43 | $77.11 |
| Nebraska | 13.6¢ | $0.20 | $5.96 | $71.43 |
| Nevada | 13.6¢ | $0.20 | $5.96 | $71.48 |
| New Hampshire | 27.3¢ | $0.39 | $11.98 | $143.65 |
| New Jersey | 23.3¢ | $0.34 | $10.20 | $122.31 |
| New Mexico | 14.1¢ | $0.20 | $6.19 | $74.21 |
| New York | 29.9¢ | $0.43 | $13.12 | $157.31 |
| North Carolina | 15.1¢ | $0.22 | $6.61 | $79.31 |
| North Dakota | 13.6¢ | $0.20 | $5.97 | $71.53 |
| Ohio | 19.5¢ | $0.28 | $8.56 | $102.60 |
| Oklahoma | 13.4¢ | $0.19 | $5.86 | $70.33 |
| Oregon | 16.3¢ | $0.23 | $7.13 | $85.52 |
| Pennsylvania | 21.6¢ | $0.31 | $9.45 | $113.27 |
| Rhode Island | 29.5¢ | $0.42 | $12.91 | $154.84 |
| South Carolina | 16.2¢ | $0.23 | $7.09 | $85.04 |
| South Dakota | 15.7¢ | $0.23 | $6.90 | $82.68 |
| Tennessee | 14.5¢ | $0.21 | $6.34 | $76.05 |
| Texas | 16.4¢ | $0.24 | $7.21 | $86.41 |
| Utah | 13.0¢ | $0.19 | $5.68 | $68.12 |
| Vermont | 24.9¢ | $0.36 | $10.91 | $130.82 |
| Virginia | 17.6¢ | $0.25 | $7.72 | $92.56 |
| Washington | 14.9¢ | $0.22 | $6.55 | $78.58 |
| West Virginia | 16.8¢ | $0.24 | $7.36 | $88.30 |
| Wisconsin | 19.7¢ | $0.28 | $8.65 | $103.75 |
| Wyoming | 14.8¢ | $0.21 | $6.49 | $77.79 |
How to cut the cost
- Enable drive spin-down and disk hibernation if your access pattern is occasional rather than constant.
- Prefer a purpose-built low-power NAS over a repurposed gaming desktop; the idle difference is large.
- Consolidate several small drives into fewer larger ones.
- Check whether the machine is actually idling or being kept awake by background tasks and network chatter.
Compare with related appliances
Monthly cost at typical usage and 19.4¢/kWh.
Questions
How much does it cost to run a home server 24/7?
At 60 watts continuous, about 526 kWh a year. Idle power is the number that matters — peak draw during heavy use is brief by comparison.
How do you calculate what a home server or NAS costs to run?
Multiply its wattage by the hours it runs per day, divide by 1,000 to get kilowatt-hours, then multiply by your electricity rate. For a home server or NAS: 60 W × 24 h ÷ 1,000 = 1.44 kWh per day, which at 19.4¢/kWh is $0.28 per day.
How many watts does a home server or NAS use?
Typically 60 watts, with most models falling between 25 and 200 watts. The label on the appliance or its power supply gives the figure for your specific unit.