UK 3D Printer Running Cost Statistics (2026 Data)
A 3D printer costs about 2.11p to 6.58p an hour in electricity when printing PLA, based on the average power that Bambu Lab and Prusa publish for their printers and Ofgem’s capped average electricity rate of 26.32p per kWh for 1 October to 31 December 2026. Every figure below comes from maker documentation, maker UK stores or Ofgem. We checked each source on 19 October 2026.
Key figures at a glance
| Statistic | Figure |
|---|---|
| UK electricity rate used | 26.32p per kWh (Ofgem cap, 1 Oct to 31 Dec 2026) |
| Electricity per hour, PLA | 2.11p (Bambu Lab A1 mini, Prusa MK4S) to 6.58p (Bambu Lab X2D) |
| 10-hour PLA print on a Bambu Lab P1S | 27.6p |
| Print hours per £1, Bambu Lab P1S on PLA | about 36 hours |
| Wifi standby for a year, Bambu Lab P1S | £13.37 to £13.83 |
| Filament per gram, maker UK stores | 1.40p (Bambu Lab PLA Basic refill) to 3.00p (Prusament PLA 1 kg) |
What electricity rate does this page use?
Every cost on this page uses Ofgem’s average electricity unit rate of 26.32p per kWh. That rate is the price cap for people on a default tariff paying by Direct Debit from 1 October to 31 December 2026.
- Unit rate: 26.32p per kWh, an average across England, Scotland and Wales. Ofgem price cap rates
- Standing charge: 54.83p a day. You pay it whether or not the printer is on. The per-hour costs below leave it out.
- VAT: Ofgem says there is no VAT on electricity from 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027. The 26.32p rate therefore includes no VAT. Ofgem announcement
- Previous quarter: the rate was 26.11p per kWh from 1 July to 30 September 2026. Ofgem says the two periods cannot be compared directly because of the VAT change.
- Next update: Ofgem will announce the rate for 1 January to 31 March 2027 by 25 November 2026.
Multiply the watt figures below by your own rate if you are on a fixed deal.
How much does a 3D printer cost to run per hour?
Printing PLA costs from 2.11p to 6.58p an hour in electricity across the printers whose makers publish an average or steady-state power figure. Cost per hour is the power in kilowatts multiplied by 26.32p.
| Printer | Power when printing PLA | Cost per hour |
|---|---|---|
| Bambu Lab A1 mini | 80 W | 2.11p |
| Prusa MK4S | 80 W | 2.11p |
| Prusa CORE One+ (Gen 2) | 90 W | 2.37p |
| Bambu Lab A1 | 95 W | 2.50p |
| Bambu Lab P1S | 105 W | 2.76p |
| Bambu Lab X1C | 105 W | 2.76p |
| Bambu Lab P1P | 110 W | 2.90p |
| Bambu Lab X1E | 185 W | 4.87p |
| Bambu Lab H2D | 197 W | 5.19p |
| Bambu Lab H2S and H2C | 200 W | 5.26p |
| Bambu Lab P2S | 200 W | 5.26p |
| Bambu Lab X2D | 250 W | 6.58p |
Sources: Bambu Lab printer power parameters, Prusa MK4S, Prusa CORE One+. Checked 19 October 2026.
- A 10-hour print: a Bambu Lab P1S printing PLA uses about 27.6p of electricity over 10 hours.
- What £1 buys: £1 of electricity runs a P1S for about 36 hours of PLA printing. The same £1 runs a Prusa MK4S for about 47 hours.
- Prusa’s own range: Prusa measured MK4 family printers at 66 W to 150 W for the rest of a PLA print after the first layer, which is 1.74p to 3.95p an hour. Prusa UPS guide
- Prusa’s average: Prusa’s FAQ says it measured an average of 80 W for generic PLA and 120 W for generic ABS on an MK-series printer at 26 °C room temperature. Prusa FAQ
- Bambu Lab A2L: Bambu Lab lists 0.145 kWh measured over one hour of PLA printing, which is 3.82p an hour.
Our guide to how much electricity a 3D printer uses explains what drives these numbers.
Does printing ABS or PC cost more than PLA?
Yes. Every printer with an ABS or PC figure draws more power for those materials than for PLA.
| Printer | PLA | ABS | PC | ABS cost per hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prusa MK4S | 80 W | 120 W | not listed | 3.16p |
| Prusa CORE One+ (Gen 2) | 90 W | 110 W | not listed | 2.90p |
| Bambu Lab P1S | 105 W | 140 W | 135 W | 3.68p |
| Bambu Lab X1C | 105 W | 150 W | 135 W | 3.95p |
| Bambu Lab A1 | 95 W | 200 W | 150 W | 5.26p |
The biggest gaps are on Bambu Lab’s large machines. The H2D averages 197 W on PLA and 395 W on PC (10.40p an hour for PC), and the X2D runs at 250 W on PLA and 550 W on PC (14.48p an hour for PC), according to the Bambu Lab power parameters page.
What does standby cost?
The Bambu Lab printers in this table draw from 4.1 W (A1) to 27 W (H2D) on wifi standby, according to Bambu Lab. Standby around the clock for a year adds about £9 to £62 to an electricity bill at 26.32p per kWh.
| Printer | Wifi standby power | Cost per year if never switched off |
|---|---|---|
| Bambu Lab A1 | 4.1 W to 5.4 W | £9.45 to £12.45 |
| Bambu Lab P1S | 5.8 W to 6 W | £13.37 to £13.83 |
| Bambu Lab P2S | 7.8 W to 8.2 W | £17.98 to £18.91 |
| Bambu Lab X2D | 7.8 W to 8.2 W | £17.98 to £18.91 |
| Bambu Lab X1C | 8.7 W to 9.9 W | £20.06 to £22.83 |
| Bambu Lab H2D | 25 W to 27 W | £57.64 to £62.25 |
The yearly figure assumes the printer sits on standby for all 8,760 hours of the year. Switching it off at the wall when it is not printing removes this cost.
How much power does a 3D printer draw at its peak?
Maximum power is a ceiling, not a running cost. Bambu Lab lists maximum power at 220 V of 150 W for the A1 mini, 1,000 W for the X1C, P1P and P1S, 1,200 W for the P2S, 1,300 W for the A1, 1,600 W for the X2D and 1,800 W for the H2 series. Prusa fits a 240 W power supply to the MK4S and the CORE One+.
These ceilings matter when choosing a plug socket, extension lead or backup power supply. They do not measure the cost of a print.
How much does filament cost per gram?
Standard PLA and PETG in our sample of maker UK store prices costs from 0.98p to 3.00p a gram. A 1 kg Bambu Lab PLA Basic refill costs less than half as much per gram as a 1 kg Prusament spool.
| Filament | Pack | UK price | Cost per gram |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bambu Lab PLA Basic | 1 kg refill | £13.99 | 1.40p |
| Bambu Lab PLA Basic | 1 kg with spool | £16.99 | 1.70p |
| Bambu Lab PLA Basic | 1 kg refill, 10 or more rolls | £9.79 a roll | 0.98p |
| Bambu Lab PETG HF | 1 kg with spool | £16.99 | 1.70p |
| Prusament PLA | 1 kg spool | £29.99 | 3.00p |
| Prusament PLA | 900 g refill | £25.99 | 2.89p |
| Prusament PLA | 2 kg spool | £49.99 | 2.50p |
| Prusament PETG | 1 kg spool | £29.99 | 3.00p |
| Prusament PETG | 2 kg spool | £49.99 | 2.50p |
Sources: Bambu Lab UK PLA Basic, Bambu Lab UK PETG HF, Prusament PLA, Prusament PETG. Prices include VAT and were checked 19 October 2026.
A 1 kg Prusament PLA spool costs 2.14 times the price of a 1 kg Bambu Lab PLA Basic refill. Our 3D printing costs breakdown shows how filament, electricity and wear add up on a real print.
Methodology
We took printing power from each maker’s published figures: Bambu Lab’s printer and AMS power parameters page (last edited 31 July 2026) and the power consumption line on Prusa’s UK product pages. We used Bambu Lab’s average power where it gives one. For the P2S and X2D we used Bambu Lab’s steady-state figure. Cost per hour is kilowatts multiplied by 26.32p. We round it to two decimal places. Standby cost per year uses 8,760 hours. Filament prices are the prices shown on the Bambu Lab UK store and Prusa’s store set to United Kingdom and GBP, including VAT, on 19 October 2026. Cost per gram is price divided by grams. Every derived number reproduces from our compute script. The full table is in the CSV below.
Limitations
- Bambu Lab’s PLA average power figures for its X1, P1 and A1 series come from short test prints of about 15 to 18 minutes. They may not match the average over a long print.
- Power varies with bed temperature, room temperature, enclosure, print speed and model size. Prusa measured 66 W to 150 W after the first layer of a PLA print on its MK-series printers.
- The Ofgem rate is a GB average for default tariffs paid by Direct Debit. Regional rates, fixed tariffs and prepayment meters differ. The per-hour costs leave out the daily standing charge.
- The AMS adds a small load: Bambu Lab lists 3.69 W to 12 W while working. The AMS 2 Pro and AMS HT draw 80 W to 170 W while drying filament.
- Filament prices are maker store prices on one day. Bambu Lab’s 10-roll price needs a 10-roll order. Both stores run promotions.
- We do not estimate filament use per hour. No maker publishes a standard figure for it. If you sell prints, our guide to 3D printer profit margins shows how material and running costs feed into pricing.
Download the data
Download the full table as a CSV: uk-3d-printer-running-costs.csv. It lists every printer power figure, standby and maximum power, filament price, derived cost, source URL and check date.
How to cite this page
Colour Label Printer, “UK 3D Printer Running Cost Statistics (2026 Data)”, updated 19 October 2026, https://colourlabelprinter.com/3d-printer-running-cost-statistics/
Sources
- Ofgem, Energy price cap unit rates and standing charges, checked 19 October 2026.
- Ofgem, Changes to energy price cap between 1 October and 31 December 2026, published 26 August 2026, checked 19 October 2026.
- Bambu Lab Wiki, Bambu Lab printer and AMS power parameters, checked 19 October 2026.
- Prusa Research, Original Prusa MK4S and Prusa CORE One+ (Gen 2) product pages, checked 19 October 2026.
- Prusa Knowledge Base, FAQ and UPS backup for your printer, checked 19 October 2026.
- Bambu Lab UK store, PLA Basic and PETG HF, checked 19 October 2026.
- Prusa store (United Kingdom, GBP), Prusament PLA and Prusament PETG, checked 19 October 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a 3D printer cost to run per hour in the UK?
Printing PLA costs about 2.11p to 6.58p an hour in electricity, using maker power figures for Bambu Lab and Prusa printers and Ofgem's capped average rate of 26.32p per kWh for 1 October to 31 December 2026.
Do 3D printers use a lot of electricity?
No. Bambu Lab says its A1 averages 95 W and its P1S 105 W when printing PLA, and Prusa lists 80 W for the MK4S. At 26.32p per kWh, £1 of electricity runs a P1S for about 36 hours of PLA printing.
How much does a 10-hour 3D print cost in electricity?
On a Bambu Lab P1S printing PLA, a 10-hour print uses about 27.6p of electricity at the October to December 2026 price cap rate.
Does printing ABS cost more than PLA?
Yes, on every printer with an ABS figure. Prusa lists 120 W for ABS against 80 W for PLA on the MK4S, and Bambu Lab lists 140 W for ABS against 105 W for PLA on the P1S.
How much does it cost to leave a 3D printer on standby?
Bambu Lab lists 5.8 W to 6 W on wifi standby for the P1S. Left on standby around the clock for a year, that is about £13.37 to £13.83 at 26.32p per kWh.
How much does 3D printer filament cost per gram?
On the makers' UK stores, Bambu Lab PLA Basic costs 1.40p a gram as a £13.99 1 kg refill, and Prusament PLA costs 3.00p a gram as a £29.99 1 kg spool.