Electricity Cost Calculator
How much does it cost to run an appliance? Calculate the electricity cost of any device, estimate your whole home bill, or compare old vs energy-efficient replacements. Works with any currency.
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How to Use This Calculator
Tab "Single Appliance"
Select an appliance from the dropdown (or choose Custom and enter your own wattage). Set the hours per day you use it and your electricity rate per kWh. The calculator shows daily, monthly, and annual electricity costs plus energy consumption in kWh.
Tab "Whole Home"
Add up to 10 appliances with their wattage and daily usage hours. The calculator totals your home electricity estimate and ranks appliances from most to least expensive, so you can see where your money goes.
Tab "Compare Appliances"
Enter the wattage of your old appliance and a new energy-efficient replacement, plus daily hours, electricity rate, and the new appliance price. The result shows annual savings and payback period — how long until the new appliance pays for itself in electricity savings.
The Formulas
kWh per day = Watts × Hours per day / 1,000
Electricity cost:
Daily cost = kWh per day × Rate per kWh
Monthly cost = Daily cost × 30.44
Annual cost = Daily cost × 365
Efficiency comparison:
Annual savings = Old annual cost − New annual cost
Payback period = New appliance price / Annual savings
All calculations are universal. No country-specific rates or tariffs are applied. Enter your own electricity rate from your utility bill.
Worked Examples
Example 1 — Space heater: $54.78/month
A 1,500-watt space heater runs 8 hours per day during winter at an electricity rate of $0.15 per kWh.
Space heaters are one of the most expensive appliances to run. Even a few hours per day adds up quickly over a winter season.
Example 2 — EV charging at home: $78.73/month
A Level 2 EV charger draws 7,200 watts and charges for 3 hours per day at $0.12 per kWh (off-peak rate).
Home EV charging is significantly cheaper than public charging stations or gasoline. Using off-peak rates can reduce costs further.
Example 3 — Old vs new fridge: 9.5-year payback
An old refrigerator draws 200 watts. A new energy-efficient model draws only 80 watts. Both run 24 hours a day at $0.15/kWh. The new fridge costs $600.
The new fridge pays for itself in under 4 years through electricity savings alone. Over a 15-year lifespan, the total savings exceed $1,700.
Understanding Electricity Costs
What Is a Kilowatt-Hour (kWh)?
A kilowatt-hour is the standard unit of electricity billing. It represents using 1,000 watts of power for one hour. A 100-watt light bulb running for 10 hours uses 1 kWh. Your electricity bill charges you per kWh consumed.
Why Wattage Alone Does Not Tell the Full Story
A 7,200W EV charger sounds expensive, but if it only runs 3 hours a day, it uses 21.6 kWh. A 150W fridge sounds cheap, but running 24/7 it uses 3.6 kWh daily. Over a month, the fridge costs about 60% of the charger despite being 48 times lower wattage. Usage hours matter as much as wattage.
How to Find Your Electricity Rate
Check your electricity bill for the rate per kWh. It is usually listed under "supply charges" or "energy charges." Common rates range from $0.08 to $0.30 per kWh depending on your country and provider. Some utilities offer time-of-use rates where off-peak hours are cheaper.
When Does Upgrading Make Sense?
Use the Compare tab to find the payback period. If the payback is shorter than the expected lifespan of the new appliance, the upgrade saves money over time. Refrigerators, air conditioners, and water heaters often have the best payback because they run the most hours per day.