What does any appliance cost to run?
Type its watts and how long you use it. Works for anything with a plug.
Look on the label or plug for a number followed by W. For kW, multiply by 1,000.
Looking for a specific appliance? Pages like the refrigerator or TV start with typical figures from official data.
How it works
Electricity is billed in kWh: one kilowatt for one hour. Divide the watts by 1,000 and multiply by the hours to get kWh.
Multiply the kWh by your price per kWh to get the cost. We repeat that for every day you use it in a week, across a year, then divide by 12 for a month.
The price starts at your country's official average where we have one. Your bill shows your own price.
Example: a 1,500 W heater, one hour a day, in the US
| Energy each hour (1,500 W ÷ 1,000) | 1.5 kWh |
|---|---|
| Price (EIA average, July 2026) | 18.31 cents per kWh |
| Cost per hour | about $0.27 |
| Cost per month | about $8.35 |
| Cost per year | about $100 |
Common questions
What's the difference between watts and kWh?
Watts are how fast something uses power right now. kWh is how much energy it used over time. A 1,000 W appliance running for one hour uses 1 kWh.
Why is my bill higher than this?
Most bills also include a fixed daily or monthly charge, plus taxes or fees that this calculator doesn't include. It works out the cost of the electricity the appliance itself uses.
What about appliances that switch on and off?
Fridges, freezers and heaters with thermostats don't draw full power all the time, so this calculator will overestimate them. Their own pages use yearly figures that already allow for that.