How do I find my NAS power consumption?

Check the product specification sheet on the manufacturer's website, look for Power Consumption in watts (W) for both idle and load states. For the most accurate measurement, use a plug-in power meter (available for around $20-30 at most hardware stores).

Are the electricity rates accurate?

The default rates are approximate averages sourced from public tariff data for each region (AER for Australia, EIA for the US, Ofgem for the UK). Actual rates vary by retailer, plan, time of use, and whether you have solar. Enter your actual rate from your bill for the most accurate result.

How much does a typical NAS cost to run per year?

A 4-bay NAS with HDDs running 24/7 typically draws 35-65W. At average residential rates (30-35c/kWh), that's roughly $90-170/year, higher in high-rate regions, lower where electricity is cheaper. Exact costs depend on drive count, NAS model, workload, and your local electricity rate.

Does sleep mode make a big difference?

Yes. If your NAS sleeps 8 hours per day instead of running 24/7, you reduce power consumption by about a third. The Biggest Levers panel shows exactly how much you would save.

Is SSD significantly cheaper to run than HDD?

SSDs typically draw 2-4W less per drive than HDDs at idle. In a 4-bay NAS, that could save $10-30/year. The bigger factor is usually the NAS CPU and chipset, not the drives themselves.

How does this compare to cloud storage costs?

Running a 4-bay NAS costs roughly $90-170/year in electricity. Cloud storage for equivalent capacity (e.g., 20TB usable) typically costs $1,200-2,400/year. However, this comparison does not include NAS hardware cost, maintenance, or the convenience factor of cloud.

NAS Power Cost Calculator

This NAS power cost calculator estimates annual electricity costs using separate idle and load wattage inputs, percentage time at load, and sleep hours per day, not a simple watts × rate formula. Region selector covers Australia (by state), US, UK, Canada, NZ, and EU with monthly-updated electricity rates. Includes Simple, Advanced, and Compare modes for side-by-side setup comparison.

How much does a NAS actually cost to run? Enter your wattage, select your region for a pre-loaded electricity rate, and see monthly and yearly running costs. Use Advanced Mode to model idle vs load patterns and sleep schedules. Use Compare Mode to see how different setups stack up.

Quick preset:

Regional defaults: AER (AU), EIA (US), Ofgem (UK), MBIE (NZ). Updated automatically. Enter your own rate for a precise result.

Electricity Rate (c/kWh)

Currency

AUD ($)

Average Watts

Hours per Day

24 hrs

Idle Watts

Load Watts (peak)

% Time at Load

20%

Sleep Hours/Day

Include network gear

I have solar, apply self-consumption offset

Solar feed-in tariff (c/kWh)

Self-consumption rate (%)

Self-consumed solar saves the full import rate. Exported solar saves the feed-in tariff rate instead. Your NAS draws power continuously, it will consume solar whenever the sun is generating. Typical self-consumption for a 24/7 device: 30-50% in summer, 15-30% in winter.

Running Cost Estimate

How We Calculate

The calculation is straightforward:

Daily kWh = (average watts × hours per day) ÷ 1,000
Monthly cost = daily kWh × 30.44 days × electricity rate ($/kWh)
Yearly cost = daily kWh × 365.25 days × electricity rate ($/kWh)

In Advanced Mode, a weighted average wattage is calculated based on your idle/load split and sleep schedule, then the same formula applies.

Electricity rate defaults are sourced from public tariff data for each region (AER for Australia, EIA for the US, Ofgem for the UK). These are approximate averages, for the most accurate result, enter the rate from your own electricity bill.

Emissions estimates use grid emissions intensity factors (kg CO₂-e/kWh): AU states from the DCCEEW National Greenhouse Accounts Factors (2022-23); US from EPA eGRID 2022; UK from DESNZ 2023; other regions from IEA national averages. Figures reflect grid-average electricity, rooftop solar will reduce actual emissions. Shown for AU, US, UK, Canada, NZ, and EU regions only. Not shown for custom rate input.

Rate defaults last reviewed: 20 March 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I find my NAS power consumption?

Check the product specification sheet on the manufacturer's website, look for "Power Consumption" in watts (W) for both idle and load states. For the most accurate measurement, use a plug-in power meter (available for around $20-30 at most hardware stores).
Should I include my network switch in the calculation?

If your NAS is the reason you have the switch (e.g., a dedicated 10GbE switch), it makes sense to include it. Use the "Include network gear" toggle in Advanced Mode. A typical unmanaged 4-port 2.5GbE switch draws around 10-15W.
Are the electricity rates accurate?

The default rates are approximate averages based on publicly available residential tariff data for each Australian state and territory. Actual rates vary by retailer, plan, time of use, and whether you have solar. Enter your actual rate from your bill for the best estimate.
How much does a typical NAS cost to run per year?

A 4-bay NAS with HDDs running 24/7 typically draws 35-65W. At average residential electricity rates (roughly 30-35c/kWh), that's around $90-170/year, higher in regions like South Australia or California, lower in parts of Canada or the US South. Exact costs depend on drive count, NAS model, workload, and your local rate.
Does sleep mode make a big difference?

Yes. If your NAS sleeps 8 hours per day instead of running 24/7, you reduce power consumption by about a third. The "Biggest Levers" panel shows exactly how much you'd save based on your current inputs.
Is SSD significantly cheaper to run than HDD?

SSDs typically draw 2-4W less per drive than HDDs at idle. In a 4-bay NAS, that could save $10-30/year. The bigger factor is usually the NAS CPU and chipset, not the drives themselves.
How does this compare to cloud storage costs?

Running a 4-bay NAS costs roughly $90-170/year in electricity. Cloud storage for equivalent capacity (e.g., 20TB usable) typically costs $1,200-2,400/year. However, this comparison doesn't include NAS hardware cost, maintenance, or the convenience factor of cloud.

NAS Power Cost Calculator

Running Cost Estimate

Biggest cost levers for your setup:

A Setup A

B Setup B

Comparison

How We Calculate

Frequently Asked Questions