How much does it cost to charge a tablet?
EIA data · June 2026About 8.0¢ a month at the U.S. average price of 18.34¢ per kilowatt-hour — but that figure moves a long way depending on where you live. Set your state below.
0.4 kWh a month at the U.S. average, 18.34¢/kWh for June 2026. Excludes fixed charges, taxes and time-of-use rates, which vary by utility and are on your bill.
Typical 5–45 W. Use the figure on your own label if you have it.
40% duty cycle applied — it draws power for part of that time.
A tablet sits mid-table at #88 of 88, which means something else in the house costs more. See whether electronics or something else drives your bill.
This figure covers the hours it is switched on. What it costs while you are not using it.
How many watts a tablet uses
Tablets charge at 10–20 W on a standard adapter and up to 45 W on fast charge. Draw falls sharply once the battery approaches full.
- Low
- 5 W
- Typical
- 12 W
- High
- 45 W
What it costs across the country
Same appliance, same usage, different electricity price. Annual cost at 12 W and the default usage above.
| State | ¢/kWh | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | 52.72 | $2.77 |
| California | 34.74 | $1.83 |
| Massachusetts | 29.61 | $1.56 |
| New York | 29.49 | $1.55 |
| Ohio | 19.19 | $1.01 |
| Texas | 15.94 | 83.8¢ |
| Florida | 15.10 | 79.4¢ |
| Utah | 13.37 | 70.3¢ |
| Nebraska | 13.25 | 69.6¢ |
| Nevada | 13.11 | 68.9¢ |
Worth knowing
- Charging a tablet daily for a year costs roughly the price of a cup of coffee.
- The charger draws only what the device requests, so a 45 W adapter on a nearly-full tablet is supplying a couple of watts.
- Leaving the charger plugged in with nothing attached draws a small fraction of a watt on any modern adapter.
Other appliances
Prices are statewide residential averages for June 2026 from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. They exclude fixed monthly charges, taxes and time-of-use rates. See how these figures are calculated.