Makers & 3D Printing
3D Print Time Cost Calculator
Estimate print running cost from print time, printer watts, electricity price and material cost.
This is a simple power + material estimate. It does not include labour, failures or machine wear.
Notes and next steps
How it works
Estimate print running cost from time, printer power, unit price and material cost.
Estimating method: Electricity cost = hours × watts ÷ 1000 × unit price. Total = electricity + material.
Worked example
8 hours at 120 W and 28p/kWh uses 0.96 kWh, costing about £0.27 plus material.
Common mistakes
- Ignoring warm-up and standby time.
- Using peak watts instead of average draw.
- Leaving out failed prints.