Today energy efficiency company Opower published a study estimating the annual cost for charging the new iPhone 5 at $0.41. While a user’s actual cost varies based on electricity rates in their regions and on use, the company's estimate assumes that a user charges the device once per day at 11.8 cents per kWh (U.S. average).
Although an individual iPhone 5 consumes a tiny amount of energy, the great popularity of Apple’s smartphones results in considerable energy demand in total. The company notes: