Use a suitable plug-in energy monitor
Choose a monitor rated for your printer’s mains supply and load, and follow its safety instructions. Connect it between the wall socket and printer. Do not open the printer or expose mains wiring. Note whether any accessories share the measured supply.
Measure a complete print
Reset the monitor’s accumulated energy reading, then start recording before heating begins. Run a representative print and record its duration and final energy in kWh. Decide whether your measurement includes cooldown and keep that boundary consistent across tests.
Heating draws power differently from steady printing. A momentary W reading can miss this variation; accumulated kWh over the full job captures it. Repeat for the materials and bed temperatures you commonly use.
Convert between watts and kWh
Energy in kWh = average W ÷ 1,000 × hours. Conversely, average W = measured kWh ÷ hours × 1,000. Convert minutes to hours by dividing by 60.
Example — hypothetical readings: a 2-hour job uses 0.20 kWh. Its average draw is 0.20 ÷ 2 × 1,000 = 100 W. This is an illustration of the calculation, not a typical printer power figure.
Turn energy into a cost
Electricity cost = measured kWh × your electricity price per kWh. Use the relevant unit rate from your tariff, not the daily standing charge. If your tariff varies over time, account for the rates during the print or use a clearly identified average.
Use your reading for future estimates
Enter the average watts in your printer library and your unit rate in cost settings. PrintQuote estimates energy from watts and print duration. Recheck after changes to the printer, material profile or environment; one measurement is not a universal constant.