How Much Does It Cost to Run This Appliance?
Enter wattage, hours per day, and your electricity rate. Instantly see daily, monthly, and annual running costs for any device.
The average US home spends ~$1,500/year on electricity — most of it heating, cooling, and appliances you barely notice.
$0.15
average US electricity rate per kilowatt-hour
10,500
kWh average US home electricity consumption per year
~$26
annual cost to run a single 60W light bulb 8 hours per day
Where your electricity bill actually goes
Phantom loads add up
Devices in standby mode — TVs, gaming consoles, phone chargers, microwaves with clocks — collectively account for 5–10% of home electricity use. A cable box uses ~17W 24/7 = ~$22/year doing nothing. Unplug or use smart power strips.
Old appliances cost more than you think
A 20-year-old refrigerator might use 800W compared to a modern ENERGY STAR model at 100–150W. That difference costs about $88/year at $0.15/kWh. A new fridge often pays for itself in 5–7 years through energy savings alone.
AC and heating dominate bills
Heating and cooling typically account for 40–50% of a home's electricity bill. A central AC running 8 hours/day at 3,500W costs about $126/month at $0.15/kWh. A smart thermostat can cut this 10–15% with minimal effort.
How the Appliance Energy Cost Calculator Works
Daily cost = (watts ÷ 1,000) × hours per day × electricity rate. Monthly cost = daily cost × 30. Annual cost = daily cost × 365.
This calculator gives you a simple estimate based on average daily usage. Actual cost varies if usage fluctuates seasonally or the appliance cycles on and off (like a refrigerator). For accurate totals, use a plug-in energy monitor like the Kill-A-Watt meter.