Electricity Cost
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Calculate the cost of electricity for your household devices and appliances to find out how much energy costs you.
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Disclaimer: Whilst every effort has been made in building our calculator tools, we are not to be held liable for any damages or monetary losses arising out of or in connection with their use. Full disclaimer.
Whether you're a homeowner who wants to keep your electricity usage in check or a renter who wants to know what the various appliances use, our electricity cost calculator can help you estimate your electricity costs for any given device at home or in the office.
Our electricity calculator helps you understand your power usage in your electrical devices and works out how much the electricity costs for your given month or time frame. You can then look at ways of reducing your electricity costs by working out which devices are expensive and adjusting your usage.
On this page:
How to calculate electricity usage and cost
To find the electricity cost for the time your appliance runs, simply multiply its wattage by the number of hours it runs. Divide by 1000 to get kilowatt hours (kWh), then multiply by your electricity rate, to bring the electricity to cents.
Where:
E = energy in kWh
P = power in Watts
t = time in hours
"To understand this, you can break it into its simplest form. An electricity usage of 1000 Watts for 1 hour is equal to 1 kilowatt-hour (kWh). And from that we can then calculate the total cost using your electricity cost (cents per kWh) to get the cost in dollars."
Let's say we have a 100W item that runs for 5 hours per day, for 30 days:
You would use 15 kilowatt-hours (kWh). At $0.15 per kWh, that would cost $2.25 per month.
How much is my appliance costing me?
To calculate your household electricity usage per year for a specific device, you need to know the power of the device (in Watts), how many hours per day it runs, and the cost of electricity in your area.
Use the appliance electricity cost formula for use with the calculator — as described above — and try it for your household items. Some common household items you might want to calculate for include: air conditioning, dishwasher, dryer, electric blanket, electric shower, freezer, gaming PC or console, refrigerator, television, tumble dryer, vacuum and washing machine.
Example cost calculation
Let's work out a simple electricity cost example. The computer in your home is currently running at a total of 400 watts of power. You run it for an average of 5 hours per day, and your electricity bill says you're paying $0.15 per kWh. So, for this example, our monthly rate would be:
0.76 × $0.15 = $9.00
So, the electricity cost comes to approximately $9 per month. That may not sound high, but when you multiply across the year, it adds up. So from there, you can work out the monthly bill, it adds up to $108 per year. For a computer, this is a cost adding up to quite an amount.
Electricity cost calculations for common household appliances
| Appliance | Watts | Hours/Day | kWh/Month | Cost/Month* |
|---|
| LED light bulb | 10 | 8 | 2.4 | $0.36 |
| Incandescent bulb | 60 | 8 | 14.4 | $2.16 |
| Ceiling fan | 75 | 12 | 27.0 | $4.05 |
| Laptop | 50 | 8 | 12.0 | $1.80 |
| Desktop computer | 200 | 8 | 48.0 | $7.20 |
| Television (LED) | 100 | 5 | 15.0 | $2.25 |
| Refrigerator | 150 | 24 | 108.0 | $16.20 |
| Washing machine | 500 | 1 | 15.0 | $2.25 |
| Clothes dryer | 3000 | 1 | 90.0 | $13.50 |
| Dishwasher | 1800 | 1 | 54.0 | $8.10 |
| Air conditioner (window) | 1000 | 8 | 240.0 | $36.00 |
| Space heater | 1500 | 8 | 360.0 | $54.00 |
| Electric oven | 2500 | 1 | 75.0 | $11.25 |
| Microwave | 1000 | 0.5 | 15.0 | $2.25 |
| Hair dryer | 1200 | 0.25 | 9.0 | $1.35 |
* Based on $0.15/kWh. Actual costs vary by location and provider.
Simply plug the power and type of the appliance into our calculator and it will give an idea of the electricity cost.
What are the most power-consuming home appliances?
In terms of wattage, the most power-hungry household items include:
- Air conditioner (1,000–5,000W)
- Clothes dryer (2,000–5,000W)
- Water heater (3,000–4,500W)
- Electric oven/range (2,000–5,000W)
- Space heater (1,000–1,500W)
It's important to note that it's not just electricity consumption alone, which has the main impact, but the combination of high wattage and the amount of time the device is on per day. For instance, a fridge uses only 150W, but it runs 24 hours a day, making it one of the biggest energy consumers overall, often competing with air conditioning and pool pumps.
Energy saving tips
Now that you know how much your appliances may be using, here are a few tips to save on electricity:
1
Switch to LED bulbs — they use up to 75% less energy than incandescent bulbs and last 25x longer. This alone could save over $100 per year in a typical home.
2
Use smart power strips to eliminate "vampire" or "phantom" energy drawn by devices in standby mode. Your entertainment center, for example, can draw 50W+ even when "off."
3
Run appliances during off-peak hours if your utility offers time-of-use pricing.
4
Maintain your HVAC system — dirty filters force the system to work harder, consuming 5–15% more energy.
5
Use a programmable or smart thermostat. The
EnergySage website estimates that setting your thermostat 7–10°F lower for 8 hours a day can save up to 10% per year on heating and cooling.
A good starting point is to use this tool to identify the top energy consumers in your household, then look for Energy Star rated alternatives.
Many U.S. utility companies also offer free or subsidized home energy audits — contact your local provider to learn more.
If you have any problems using our electricity cost calculator, please contact us.