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Electricity Cost Calculator
Pick a common appliance or enter any device’s wattage, say how long it runs each day, and enter your electricity price. The calculator shows what it costs per day, per month and per year.
Costs are estimates from your stated price and usage. Your bill’s actual rate may include delivery charges, taxes and tiered pricing — check the per-kWh rate on your bill.
How it works
Electricity is billed in kilowatt-hours (kWh): one kWh is 1,000 watts used for one hour. So energy per day (kWh) = watts ÷ 1,000 × hours per day, energy per month = energy per day × days per month, and cost = energy (kWh) × price per kWh (your price in cents divided by 100 to get dollars). The yearly figure is simply the monthly figure × 12. Worked example: a 1,500 W air conditioner running 8 hours a day uses 1,500 ÷ 1,000 × 8 = 12 kWh per day; over 30 days that is 360 kWh, and at 17 cents per kWh the monthly cost is 360 × $0.17 = $61.20 ($2.04 per day, about $734.40 per year).
Frequently asked questions
Where do I find my electricity price per kWh?
On your electricity bill, as the supply or energy rate — not the total bill divided by usage, which mixes in fixed charges. US residential prices are commonly 15–25 cents per kWh; this page defaults to 17.
What is a kilowatt-hour, exactly?
One kilowatt (1,000 watts) running for one hour. A 100 W bulb running for 10 hours uses 1 kWh, and so does a 1,000 W heater running for 1 hour.
Why does my fridge not cost what its wattage suggests?
A fridge’s wattage is its draw while the compressor runs, but it cycles on and off. If it runs about a third of the time, enter its average hours (e.g. 8 hours a day), not 24.
Does this include delivery charges and taxes?
No — it uses only the per-kWh price you enter. If your bill separates delivery from supply, add the two per-kWh rates together for a closer total, or treat this as the energy-only cost.
How can I cut an appliance’s running cost?
Use it fewer hours, switch to a lower-wattage model (LEDs instead of incandescent bulbs), or run it on a lower setting. This calculator shows the saving instantly: halve the hours and the cost halves.
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