UK households with PS5 games consoles hit with £46 charges

Households with PlayStation 5 consoles could be spending almost £47 a year on them via their energy bill when the cost under the current price cap is projected over a year. Since game consoles hit the mass market in the 1980s, video gaming has become a multi-billion-pound industry. Tens of millions of households have a console, and gaming has become a popular form of entertainment across demographics.

The Sony PS5 is the highest selling console of the current generation, with more than 95 million units sold as of June 30, 2026, according to Sony Interactive website. They don't come cheap, ranging from around £520 for the base models, up to £780 for the highest spec PS5 Pro, though recent price rises have come as a result of the ongoing computer component shortage crisis which has also hit Xbox, PCs and iPad prices. Other costs include the price of physical or digital copies of games, or subscriptions for online play, but it's also worth factoring in how they can affect your energy bill. Utilita’s Power Price List allows you to pick from a variety of household appliances and devices, with the elecrity and gas supplier providing an estimated cost per use under the current Ofgem price cap standard variable tariff.

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Explaining how the data behind the calculations shown on the tool, Utilita says its "expert analysts collate data from sellers and manufacturers websites as well as from our customers research and surveys".

"They also use values produced via the energy price cap. We use this data and update the Power Price List so it’s easy to understand."

According to the tool, a PS5 costs roughly £0.13 per use under the current price cap. Under Utilita's calculation for typical use over the course of a year, it comes to an estimated £46.94.

However, actual usage will depend on how much you use it, and will vary between different models, and the estimate doesn't include the energy cost associated with the television you're using to play games.

It's also worth noting that you can conserve energy using power saver for supported PS5 games, which Sony Interactive says allows "performance to scale back as needed, reducing power consumption". The PS5 is also more energy efficient than the PS4, using 11-17% less energy for its PS5 launch model than the PS4 launch model, according to Sony.

Additionally, while the Utilita estimates give you an illustrative sense of the costs the cap represents when projected over a longer period, the maximum limit on unit rates and standard charges is reviewed by the regulator every 3 months and doesn't remain in place for a full year.

Utilita's tool also allows you to see what the estimated environmental impact of appliances is over time.

The firm said: “Utilita has updated its Power Price List – the UK’s only live database that translates Ofgem’s price cap into the real‑world cost of powering everyday household electrical items.

“The update reflects Ofgem’s latest direct debit price cap, effective from July 1.

“The Power Price List breaks down the cost of running more than 100 common appliances and activities, from heating and cooking to laundry, lighting, entertainment and more.”

“The less energy we use, the better it is for the planet," it adds. "That’s why the Power Price List also shows how the usage of common electrical items compares to the miles driven by a car – households may be shocked!”