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How much electricity does a 3D printer use? 12 Bambu Lab printers compared

At the U.S. residential average of 18.31¢/kWh, printing PLA costs about 1.5¢ an hour on an A1 mini and about 4.6¢ an hour on an X2D, using Bambu Lab's own published power figures. Each printer's maximum power rating is roughly 2 to 7 times what it draws on average while printing.

Last updatedOct 17, 2026

DataBambu Lab Wiki (accessed Oct 17, 2026) × EIA July 2026 rates

Recalculate for your rate

Preset rates are EIA averages for July 2026 (Electric Power Monthly, released Sep 24, 2026).

Sorted by average PLA power unless you choose another column. "Max" is Bambu Lab's maximum power at 110 V; size wiring and power stations for it, but don't use it to estimate your bill.

Methods & limitations

  • Source of power figures: every wattage on this page is copied from Bambu Lab's "Printer and AMS power parameters" wiki page, accessed Oct 17, 2026. We did not measure any printer ourselves.
  • Test methods differ by model. Bambu reports A1, A1 mini, P1P, P1S, X1/X1C and X1E as averages over 16-18 minute PLA test prints (heat-up included); A2L as energy over 1 hour of PLA printing; P2S and X2D as steady-state PLA power at 110 V; H2S/H2D/H2C as average PLA power. Treat cross-model differences under about 15 W as noise.
  • Electricity rates: EIA averages are revenue ÷ kWh sold, a proxy for price; your tariff, time-of-use rates and fixed charges will differ.
  • Formulas: cost per hour = average W ÷ 1,000 × rate. Yearly cost = (hours/day × average W + (24 − hours/day) × standby W) × 365 ÷ 1,000 × rate. Standby uses the midpoint of Bambu's Wi-Fi standby range.
  • Not included: AMS units (Bambu lists 3.7-12 W working; AMS 2 Pro drying 80 W, AMS HT drying 170 W), enclosure heaters, high-temperature materials (PC/ABS draw more), ambient temperature.
  • Other brands: Prusa, Creality, Elegoo and Anycubic figures are on the printer power page, with state electricity rates.
  • Why it matters for pricing: electricity is usually a small share of a PLA print's cost; filament and labor tend to dominate. Check yours in the cost calculator.

Sources

Bambu Lab Wiki, "Printer and AMS power parameters" (accessed Oct 17, 2026).

EIA Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.3 and Table 5.6.A, July 2026 (accessed Oct 17, 2026).