How much electricity crypto mining uses and how to estimate yours
Crypto mining electricity use depends on your miner, network and runtime; your utility rate, cooling choices and hours run shape the final cost.
Vahe HakobyanEditor-in-chief
Updated Oct 6, 20263 min readFact-checked
On this page
- A watt meter shows what your miner pulls from the wall.
- External cooling adds to a wall reading; internal fans and power supply do not.
- Network estimates change; your utility rate decides the cost.
Your total depends on the hardware and hours it works. The steps below cover what to gather and how to estimate cost.
Before you start: what you need
Find the miner's wattage on its label or manual. Multiply it by the hours you run the miner, then divide by one thousand to get kilowatt-hours.
Steps to estimate your mining electricity use
A meter gives the clearest estimate. You measure actual draw, add external cooling, convert to kilowatt-hours and check network estimates.
- 1Set up the meter and read drawPlug the miner into the meter, then the meter into the wall. Run it and record the watts shown. This can differ from rated wattage.
- 2Add external cooling and lossesAdd any fan, AC or ventilation not powered through the miner. If you use rated wattage, add a margin for power-supply losses and internal fans.
- 3Convert and check network estimatesDivide total watts by one thousand, then multiply by hours run to get kilowatt-hours. For Bitcoin and mineable proof-of-work altcoins, check current network estimates. They change, and Ethereum mining ended in September 2022.
After you estimate: costs, records, and rules
Your kilowatt-hours measure energy, not dollars. Multiply them by your local rate to estimate cost. Also check your utility's rules and rate tiers.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Solar panels can lower the electricity you buy from the grid. Size them for the miner's draw, and add batteries for night use.
Difficulty sets how much computing work is needed to find a block. Higher difficulty can mean longer runtimes or more hardware, raising electricity use.
Estimates use different assumptions about hardware, energy sources and runtimes. No central meter records each miner's draw.
