How much does it cost to run a games console in the UK?
Price updated 9 July 2026 · Q3 2026 (Jul–Sep)
A typical games console (150 W) used 2 hours a day, every day costs about £2.38 a month (£28.59 a year) at 26.11p/kWh.
Current-generation consoles draw 90–200W while playing demanding games, more than a TV and much more than older consoles. The bigger hidden cost is rest/standby mode: left in a high-power standby that downloads updates, a console can quietly use meaningful energy around the clock. Choosing the low-power rest setting and switching fully off when you won't play for a while removes most of that background cost.
Work out your own cost
About £2.38 a month · £28.59 a year
Uses about 110 kWh a year. Prefilled with the Ofgem cap of 26.11p/kWh — edit any box for your own figures.
Cost by model power
The same games console can vary a lot between models, so here is the range from a low-power to a high-power example.
| Model | Power | Per hour | Per day | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low-power model | 90 W | 2.3p | 4.7p | £1.43 | £17.15 |
| Typical model | 150 W | 3.9p | 7.8p | £2.38 | £28.59 |
| High-power model | 200 W | 5.2p | 10p | £3.18 | £38.12 |
What changes the cost
- Power while actively gaming (90–200W)
- Rest/standby mode setting (can be significant)
- Hours played per day
- Streaming video through the console also draws power
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