What an appliance costs to run
Watts, hours and your price per kWh give the running cost per day, per month and per year.
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Appliances
Typical wattages from the Virginia Cooperative Extension factsheet on DOE appliance estimates. Ranges are their midpoints. Check the label on yours.
Standby
5 W is an example. A plug-in energy meter shows your own standby draw.
How to work out what an appliance costs to run
- Enter your price per kWh from your bill, then add each appliance.
- Set its power in watts, hours a day and days a week, or its kWh a year from the label.
- Read the cost per day, per month and per year, and the standby cost.
Questions
How do you work out what an appliance costs to run?
Divide the watts by 1,000 to get kilowatts, multiply by the hours used to get kWh, then multiply by your price per kWh. A 2,000 W heater used for 1 hour uses 2 kWh, which costs 0.60 at 0.30 per kWh.
Where do I find my price per kWh?
Your electricity bill shows a unit rate per kWh. Standing charges and taxes are separate lines, so the calculator covers only the energy you use.
Are the typical wattages accurate?
They come from a Virginia Cooperative Extension factsheet on estimating appliance energy use, which quotes nameplate ranges from the US Department of Energy. Nameplate wattage is usually the maximum draw, so check the label on your appliance.
How much does standby power cost a year?
Multiply the standby watts by 24 hours and 365 days, divide by 1,000, then multiply by your price. 5 W on standby at 0.30 per kWh is about 13.14 a year.
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