A typical text prompt uses about 0.3 watt-hours of electricity, roughly a microwave running for one second, according to figures Google and OpenAI published in 2025. Long answers, pasted documents, reasoning modes and image or video generation can multiply that many times over.
The habits that cut AI's footprint are the same ones that cut its cost: ask for the length you need, use a smaller model for simple jobs, and get it right on the first try.
The latest numbers from Google, OpenAI and Microsoft researchers, why "a bottle of water per email" is out of date, and what changes a prompt's footprint.
October 30, 2026 · 9 min read
Shows the energy and water a shorter prompt saves.
See how long your prompts really are.