MacBook battery draining fast

In short: A MacBook battery that's dropping from 100% to flat in 2 to 4 hours is either chemically worn out (most common after 3 to 5 years of use), or a software process is keeping the system awake. Battery replacement restores full-day life on machines you thought were past it.

What’s happening

Apple batteries are rated for around 1000 charge cycles before their capacity drops noticeably. After 3 to 5 years of normal use, battery capacity falls to 60-70% of original. That’s when day-long battery life turns into half-day.

You can check yours: hold Option and click the Apple menu → System Information → Power. Look at Cycle Count and Condition. Above 1000 cycles, or any condition status other than “Normal”, indicates the battery is at end of life.

Software causes are also common: a runaway process keeping the CPU busy, the screen brightness pinned at maximum, or background sync (Photos library uploading, Time Machine running). These can chew through a battery in hours.

What to do first

1. Check the battery cycle count (steps above). High cycles + degraded condition = replace.
2. Activity Monitor → Energy tab. Look for processes with high Energy Impact. If one app is sitting at 20+ Energy Impact when you’re not actively using it, that’s a battery killer.
3. Reduce screen brightness, disconnect external displays, and see if battery life recovers.

What we do

Battery replacement with a genuine Apple cell. We calibrate the new battery to the system after installation so the percentage reading is accurate from day one. Most MacBook batteries are stocked or available next-day.

How we quote

Phone us with your MacBook model and we’ll give you a ballpark on the call. Apple cell pricing moves so we don’t publish fixed prices, but battery replacement is one of the more predictable jobs we do. 90 day warranty on the new battery and labour.