How Much Does Working from Home Raise Your Energy Bill?

Imagine trading your morning commute for a short walk to the kitchen table—sounds like a win, right? But while working from home has its perks, it can also come with hidden costs—like a bump in your monthly electric bill. With 22% of Americans already working from home and more adding to that figure each year, remote workers are unknowingly shouldering higher energy usage and, as a result, higher utility costs.

To find out how much more remote workers are spending on electricity, we analyzed state-level residential electricity prices and consumption data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. By estimating the extra power used during a typical work-from-home setup, we were able to compare electric bills between in-office and remote workers across all 50 states.

Let’s plug in and see where remote work is really costing Americans.

Using state-level data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, we calculated the average electric bill for a standard household in every state—then added in the estimated extra usage remote workers rack up, such as using a laptop and monitor for a standard 40 hour work week, desk lighting, midday kitchen appliances like microwaves, kettles, and toasters, background TV and speaker use, and ceiling fans for comfort. 

What we found is that on average, remote workers across the country pay 6.8% more on their electricity bills each month. But that increase isn’t evenly spread—some states are hit harder than others.

Top 5 States With the Highest Increase in Electric Bills for Remote Workers

1. California – 11.1% increase
2. Hawaii – 10.8%
3. Rhode Island – 9.8%
4. Massachusetts – 9.7%
5. Maine – 9.7%

These states typically have a higher cost per kilowatt-hour, so even modest increases in energy usage can quickly add up.

Top 5 States With the Smallest Increase in Electric Bills for Remote Workers

1. Louisiana – 4.4% increase
2. Mississippi – 4.7%
3. Texas – 4.7%
4. Alabama – 4.9%
5. Tennessee – 4.9%

Lower electricity rates in these states help keep remote work costs more manageable.

Check out the chart below for a full breakdown of each state’s average monthly bill and percentage increase for remote workers.

Not all remote workers are created electrically equal. Depending on where you live, the price of powering your work-from-home setup can vary by hundreds of dollars a year. That’s because some states not only use more energy—they also charge more for each kilowatt-hour of it.

Across the country, remote workers pay an average of $109 more per year in electricity. But that number spikes in states where energy is both expensive and in high demand. 

The 5 Most Expensive States to Be a Remote Worker

1. Hawaii – $276 more per year in electricity 
2. Massachusetts – $203
3. California – $199
4. Connecticut – $183
5. Maine – $171

These are places where electricity rates are among the highest in the nation—meaning remote workers pay a steep premium just to stay connected and comfortable.

The 5 Least Expensive States to Be a Remote Worker

1. North Dakota – $67 more per year in electricity 
2. Nebraska – $70
3. Idaho – $71
4. Utah – $72
5. Oklahoma – $75

Here, lower electricity prices help keep remote work energy costs much closer to the in-office baseline.

In Texas, working from home might save you a drive—but it adds up on your electric bill. The average household in the Lone Star State already spends about $2,107 per year on electricity, and that number only climbs when you shift your workday home. Adding laptops, lighting, appliances, and entertainment usage boosts a remote worker’s electric bill by nearly 5%, translating to an additional $100 per year.

Interestingly, it’s not the price of electricity driving those high bills. At 15.32 cents per kWh, Texas lands close to the national average in terms of rate. The real difference is in usage. With large homes, high AC demand, and long, hot summers, the state’s average residential electricity consumption is 1,146 kWh per month—among the highest in the country.

As more people work from home, household electricity usage is naturally rising—often in ways that go unnoticed. From powering computers and routers to running appliances throughout the day, remote work brings a quiet but steady increase in monthly bills.

The good news? A few smart choices can make a big difference. Simple steps for remote workers—like using a laptop instead of a desktop, enabling sleep mode, unplugging idle devices, and working near natural light—can lead to real savings. You can also cut costs by only heating or cooling the room you work in, sealing drafts, and switching to LED bulbs.

But beyond habits, having the right electricity plan is key—especially in states like Texas, where consumers are not tied to one electricity supplier and have the ability to shop around for the best plan that fits their needs. That’s where Power Wizard comes in. By simplifying the process of browsing, filtering, and comparing plans based on the customers needs and preferences, Power Wizard helps ensure that your energy choices align with your lifestyle—and your budget. 

Ready to lower your bill? Contact us today and let Power Wizard find the right plan for your home.

To compare the monthly electric bill of remote workers and in-person workers in each state, we used state-level data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). We pulled each state’s total residential electricity sales and average retail price per kilowatt-hour (kWh) to calculate the average monthly electric bill for a typical household.

Next, we estimated the additional electricity usage for remote workers based on common at-home work habits. This included using a laptop and monitor for a standard 40 hour work week (24.64 kWh/month), desk lighting (3.52 kWh/month), midday kitchen appliances like microwaves, kettles, and toasters (5.5 kWh/month), background TV and speaker use (12.32 kWh/month), and ceiling fans for comfort (8.8 kWh/month).

We added this remote-specific energy usage to each state’s average residential usage and applied the state’s electricity rate to estimate the monthly electric bill for a remote worker household. Finally, we compared that figure to the baseline electric bill to find the theoretical percentage increase in electricity costs associated with working from home.