Fixed vs Metered Miner Hosting: The Math at 7.75¢

Two hosts can both say “8¢/kWh” and send you very different bills. The difference is usually in how they measure your power and what the rate includes.

805 Mining bills metered, at 7.75¢/kWh for air-cooled miners (7.5¢ for 20 or more machines). Below we explain both methods honestly, including when fixed pricing is the better fit, and show the math.

Metered billing

You pay for the power your miner actually uses, by the kWh.

• Good: if your miner is off, it uses no power, so you pay nothing for those hours. Downtime, underclocking and curtailment all lower your bill automatically. You don’t need to file a claim or wait for a credit.
• Watch for: miners often draw a little more than their spec, especially in heat or when overclocked. Some hosts point out that draw can run up to about 10% over spec. On a metered bill, you pay for that.
• Ask: how is power measured, and can I see the readings?

Fixed billing

You pay a set amount per machine each month, usually based on the miner’s rated wattage × hours in the month, no matter what it actually draws. Hosts often call this an “all-in” monthly price per machine.

• Good: you know your bill to the dollar in advance, which makes budgeting simple. If your miner draws more than its rated wattage, the host absorbs the difference.
• Watch for: if your machine is down, you’re still billed for the whole month unless the host gives a downtime credit, and credits often only start below the SLA.
• Ask: what wattage do you bill for my model, and do you credit downtime? From what uptime level?

What “all-in” means

“All-in” should mean the rate covers the full cost of running your miner, with no extra line items. But hosts define it differently. Ask whether the rate covers:

• Racking and setup
• Pool and firmware setup
• Monitoring and reboots
• Repair labor (parts are usually extra)
• Internet
• Management fees
• Deposits or setup fees
• Sales tax

A low rate plus fees can cost more than a higher all-in rate.

The math at 7.75¢: S21 Pro and S21 XP

An average month is 730 hours. On a metered bill, uptime lowers your cost because hours when the miner is off use no power.

Antminer S21 Pro (3,510 W rated)

Uptime	Power used	Metered cost at 7.75¢
100%	2,562 kWh	$198.58
99%	2,537 kWh	$196.59
97%	2,485 kWh	$192.62

Antminer S21 XP (3,645 W rated)

Uptime	Power used	Metered cost at 7.75¢
100%	2,661 kWh	$206.22
99%	2,634 kWh	$204.15
97%	2,581 kWh	$200.03

A fixed per-machine price set at the same 7.75¢ would bill the 100% line every month, whatever the uptime. At 97% uptime that’s about $6 a month per machine you’d pay for power you didn’t use. At 99% it’s about $2.

Be realistic about what that means: at normal uptime the difference is small. Where metered billing really matters is a bad month. A miner that’s down for three days while it waits on a repair uses about 253 kWh less, which is about $20 you don’t pay on a metered bill. On a fixed bill you’d still pay for those days unless the host credits them.

The trade-off runs the other way if your miner draws over spec. An S21 Pro drawing 10% over its rating uses about 2,819 kWh a month, or $218.44 at 7.75¢, which is what a typical 8.5¢ fixed rate would charge at rated draw ($217.80).

Power cost only, at rated wattage. Excludes pool fees, repairs and shipping.

When fixed pricing is the better fit

Fixed pricing is a fair choice if:

• You want a bill you can predict to the dollar for budgeting or investor reporting.
• Your machines run hot or overclocked and draw well above spec.
• The fixed host credits downtime clearly, so you’re not paying for a dead machine.

If those don’t apply, metered billing usually costs the same or less, and it never charges you for a machine that isn’t running.

How 805 bills

• Metered, by the kWh. Air-cooled hosting is 7.75¢/kWh for 1–19 machines and 7.5¢/kWh for 20 or more. You pay for the power your miner uses. When it’s off, you pay nothing for those hours. You’ll be able to see your usage through Foreman; that’s coming soon.
• All-in running cost. 7.75¢ is the total cost of running your miner. There’s no separate management fee.
• Upfront: a one-time setup and racking fee of $50 per machine bought through 805, or $100 per machine you bring yourself, plus one month of power paid upfront as a deposit. For one S21 Pro that’s about $50 + $195.86 (3,510 W × 24 h × 30 days at 7.75¢) ≈ $246. After that, power is billed by the kWh. We hold the deposit to cover shipping your machine back when hosting ends, and refund the rest.
• Contract: a 12-month term, 30 days’ notice, and a minimum of one machine.
• Uptime: our SLA is 97%, and our sites have averaged about 99%.
• Your rewards go straight to you. You give us your own pool and wallet address, so payouts go directly to your wallet. We never hold your rewards.

Bottom line

Compare hosts on the total cost for your exact machine, including setup fees and deposits, not just the headline rate. Ask how power is measured, what “all-in” covers, and what you pay when your miner is down. With 805, the answer to the last one is: nothing for the power it didn’t use.

Want the math for your miner? Send us the model and quantity.

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Math: kW × 730 h × uptime × rate. Deposit example: kW × 24 h × 30 days × rate. Rates as of October 2026.