How much does it cost to run a phone charger?
A phone charger typically draws about 5 W. At the current Ofgem price-cap electricity rate of 26.11p/kWh (1 July to 30 September 2026), a typical 2-hour use costs about 0.3p, and one hour costs roughly 0.1p.
Phone charger running cost: ~0.01 kWh per hour β 0.1p/hour. A typical 2-hour use β 0.3p at 26.11p/kWh.
Phone charger running-cost calculator
A phone charger draws about 5 W. Set how long you run it and we apply the current Ofgem electricity unit rate of 26.11p/kWh.
Cost to run for 2 hours
0.3p
Uses 0.01 kWh at 26.11p/kWh.
- Per day
- 0.3p
- Per week
- 1.8p
- Per year
- 95.3p
Per-day/week/year figures assume one 2-hour run each day. Wattage is typical/indicative β your model may differ.
How the cost is worked out
- Wattage: a phone charger draws about 5 W.
- Convert to kW: 5 Γ· 1,000 = 0.01 kW.
- Multiply by hours: 0.01 kW Γ 2 h = 0.01 kWh.
- Multiply by the unit rate: 0.01 kWh Γ 26.11p β 0.3p.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to run a phone charger?
A phone charger draws about 5 W. At the Ofgem cap rate of 26.11p/kWh (1 July to 30 September 2026), a typical 2-hour use costs roughly 0.3p, and one hour costs about 0.1p.
How much electricity does a phone charger use per hour?
At 5 W, a phone charger uses about 0.01 kWh per hour, which is roughly 0.1p at the current cap rate.
Running costs for other appliances
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Wattage (5 W) is typical/indicative β your model may differ. Source: Energy Saving Trust / common UK indicative rating. Electricity unit rate from Ofgem β Energy price cap unit rates and standing charges (cap period 1 July to 30 September 2026, fetched 2026-06-18). Ofgem figures Β© Ofgem, Open Government Licence v3.0. Appliance wattages are typical/indicative, not measured. Ofgem.