Softonic

Electricity Cost Calculator

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A 1,500 W space heater running five hours a day sounds affordable until you multiply by your electricity rate and count to 30. This calculator turns wattage and hours into a real monthly dollar amount, so you can compare whether the heater, the dehumidifier, the gaming rig, the old fridge or the always-on NAS is the hidden chunk of your bill.

How to calculate electricity cost

  1. 1

    Enter the appliance wattage

    From the label, spec sheet, or a measurement with a plug-in meter (Kill-A-Watt style).

  2. 2

    Enter hours used per day

    Realistic running hours, not theoretical max. Many devices cycle on and off; use the average.

  3. 3

    Enter your kWh rate

    Look at your utility bill for the "per kWh" rate. If your bill has several rates, use the one that matches the appliance and time of day you are checking.

  4. 4

    Read the breakdown

    Daily energy use in kilowatt-hours, plus daily, monthly and annual cost.

The formula

daily cost = watts * hours / 1000 * price per kWh

Dividing by 1,000 converts watt-hours to kilowatt-hours (the unit your bill uses).

Typical wattages to estimate with

Appliance Watts (typical)
LED bulb (60 W equivalent) 8-10
Incandescent bulb (60 W) 60
Refrigerator (average running) 100-250
Laptop 30-65
Desktop PC (idle) 60-120
Desktop gaming (load) 250-500
55“ LED TV 60-120
Microwave (running) 800-1200
Electric kettle 1800-2200
Dishwasher 1200-1500
Clothes dryer 1800-5000
Space heater 1000-1500
Portable AC 1000-1500
EV charger (Level 2, 240V) 7000
Hair dryer 1500

Refrigerators cycle, so a 150 W compressor draws that power only when cooling; average daily consumption is usually 1-2 kWh for a modern ENERGY STAR fridge.

US rate comparison (2025-ish)

State / area Typical rate (USD/kWh)
Pacific Northwest 0.10-0.12
Texas 0.13-0.16
California 0.28-0.40
New York 0.22-0.30
Hawaii 0.35-0.45
Louisiana 0.09-0.11
US average ~0.17

Time-of-use pricing

Some utilities charge different rates by time. Peak (afternoon/evening) can be 3-4x off-peak. Run heavy appliances (laundry, dishwasher, EV charging) at off-peak times. To estimate with this calculator, use the rate that applies to the hours you enter, and run a separate calculation for each rate if your appliance crosses more than one.

Small changes with real impact

  • LED swap: replacing a 60 W incandescent running 4 h/day with a 10 W LED saves about 73 kWh/year. At 0.17 per kWh that is 12.41 per bulb per year.
  • Smart power strip: kills phantom draw on entertainment setups; can save 50-150 kWh/year.
  • Fridge coils: dusty condenser coils raise consumption 10-30 percent. Vacuum twice a year.
  • Hot water: electric water heaters are often the top-three appliance; insulating the tank or lowering thermostat by 5 degrees F cuts cost.

Gas vs electric

Some appliances come in either; the cheapest option depends on local rates for both fuels. Heating with a heat pump (COP 3-4) is usually cheaper than electric resistance even in expensive-electricity regions. Compare fuel cost per BTU, not per unit of fuel.

Frequently Asked Questions

Look at the “energy charge” or “supply charge” on your electricity bill. Add distribution and delivery charges if they are per-kWh. Ignore fixed monthly charges; those apply regardless of usage.

Usually the label shows maximum power draw. Most appliances use much less under normal load. A plug-in watt meter gives the real average, often 30-50 percent of the labeled watts.

Many devices draw 1-10 W when “off” (TVs, game consoles, instant-on audio). If you know the standby wattage and off-hours, add a second calculation for the standby scenario and sum.

No. Wattage, hours and rate are sent to our server to compute the cost and may appear in the page link as you move between steps. They are not stored or shared.

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