Worked exampleExported from Calvance
Appliance Electricity Cost
Estimate an appliance’s daily kWh, energy use over a chosen number of days and electricity cost. Change usage hours in an editable calculation canvas.
View template and method3D Printing Material & Electricity
Use filament weight and print duration from your slicer to estimate material and electricity costs separately, then add the two expenses.
Worked exampleExported from Calvance
Exported by the iOS App After importing, edit the numbers in Calvance.
When to use it
Estimate two expenses for one single-material FDM/FFF print. Enter the spool’s net filament weight without the spool itself. For total filament used, include the model, supports, brim and purging as applicable. The metric USD example uses simulated prices and electricity rates, not current market data.
Related calculations: Appliance Electricity Cost.
Inputs
USD
| Inputs | Default |
|---|---|
| Spool price (USD) | 25 |
| Net spool mass (kg) | 1 |
| Total filament (g) | 120 |
| Average power (W) | 150 |
| Print time (h) | 8 |
| Electricity rate (USD/kWh) | 0.2 |
Calculation method
Material cost = spool price ÷ net spool weight × total filament used. Average input power × print duration gives energy, converted to kWh; multiply by the electricity rate. Add material and electricity costs. The example uses 120 g from a 1 kg spool: material costs USD 3; 150 W for 8 h uses 1.2 kWh, costing USD 0.24, for a USD 3.24 subtotal. Real units handle g/kg and W·h/kWh conversions, so do not add another factor of 1000.
25 [Spool price USD]/1 [Net spool mass kg] × 120 [Total filament g] → Material cost USD
150 [Average power W] × 8 [Print time h] → Energy used kWh
Energy used kWh × 0.2 [Electricity rate USD/kWh] → Electricity cost USD
Material cost USD + Electricity cost USD → Two-cost total USD
Change one input
Change the spool price from USD 25 to USD 30. Material cost becomes USD 3.60 and the subtotal USD 3.84. Electricity use and cost stay unchanged.
| Result | Default | Changed |
|---|---|---|
| Material cost (USD) | 3 | 3.6 |
| Energy used (kWh) | 1.2 | 1.2 |
| Electricity cost (USD) | 0.24 | 0.24 |
| Two-cost total (USD) | 3.24 | 3.84 |
Results are displayed to at most two decimal places; later formulas use unrounded values.
Scope and limits
- Single material; include supports and purging.
- Use average input power, not the power-supply rating.
- Materials plus electricity only, not a selling price.
Net spool mass, filament usage, average power and duration must be positive; prices and electricity rate nonnegative. Use the same currency throughout. Power and duration must describe the same job interval. Slicer estimates may differ from measured use. The total excludes labour, depreciation, maintenance, failed prints, taxes, profit, packaging and separately powered equipment. It is consumed-material cost, not the cash needed to buy whole spools. No STL/G-code analysis, resin printing, mixed-price filaments or time-of-use tariff calculation.
Prusa: components of printing cost
Download and import into Calvance to edit the numbers. The canvas does not reject every invalid input; check the stated ranges.
Common questions
Can I use this subtotal as a customer quote?
No. It covers only material and electricity. Labour, machine costs and other business expenses must be considered separately.
Should I enter the printer’s rated wattage?
Use measured or reasonably estimated average input power over the stated print period. The power-supply rating is not a measurement of average consumption.
Does it read a model or slicer file?
No. Enter your own totals after downloading and importing the canvas into Calvance.
How to import your template
We recommend using the latest version of Calvance.
- Save the file. Choose Download template and save the .calvx file to Files on your iPhone or iPad. From a computer, you can send it to your device with AirDrop.
- Open Import. In All Canvases in Calvance, tap the add button to open the template screen, then choose Import.
- Choose the file. Select the saved .calvx file to create your own canvas. Importing uses one canvas from your allowance.
- Edit and check. Check the results against the worked example, then add your numbers. Duplicate the canvas to keep different versions.
More calculations to try
Worked exampleExported from Calvance
Baking Ingredient Costs
One ingredient price, three bakes. Change the butter price to update batch and per-serving costs.
View template and methodWorked exampleExported from Calvance
Board Feet & Lumber Cost
Add board footage for two lumber sizes and estimate purchase cost at one price per board foot. Keep dimensions and piece counts together for later changes.
View template and methodDifferent tasks.
Separate canvases.
Choose a plan when you need more canvases, high-resolution image exports, or sync across devices.