Electricity cost calculator
Daily, monthly and yearly cost to run an appliance from its watts, hours of use and your rate.
- ๐บ๐ธ US federal & state rules
- EIA U.S. average residential electricity price, July 2026
- See sources
Cost per month
$66.83
365 kWh at 18.31ยข per kWh
- Per day
- $2.20
- Per year
- $801.98
- Per hour
- $0.27
- kWh per year
- 4,380
This is an example. Enter your numbers above and press the button to see your own result.
Monthly cost at other hours per day
| 1 hour a day | $8.35 |
|---|---|
| 2 hours a day | $16.71 |
| 4 hours a day | $33.42 |
| 8 hours a day | $66.83 |
| 12 hours a day | $100.25 |
| 24 hours a day | $200.49 |
- The default price is the EIA U.S. average residential rate, 18.31ยข per kWh for July 2026. Your bill lists your own rate, often with delivery charges on top.
- Appliances that cycle, such as fridges, AC units and space heaters on a thermostat, draw full power only part of the time. Count only the hours they actually run.
Show the math
| kWh per day | 1,500 W ร 8 h รท 1,000 = 12 |
|---|---|
| Days per year | 7 a week ร 52.14 weeks |
| Cost per year | 4,380 kWh ร $0.18 = $801.98 |
| Cost per month | Yearly cost รท 12 |
What to do next
How it works
Energy in kilowatt-hours is watts ร hours รท 1,000. The cost is kWh ร your price per kWh. The calculator works out a year from your days per week, then divides by 12 for the monthly figure.
Things to keep in mind
Wattage on the label is the maximum. Fridges, air conditioners and heaters on a thermostat switch on and off, so a fridge might average around 150 W even though its compressor draws more while running.
Many utilities charge different rates by season, by time of day or by how much you use. If your bill has tiers, use the rate for your top tier to see what one more appliance costs.
Sources
Rules applied as of 2026-07-01. See the sources below for details.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to run a space heater?
A 1,500 W heater uses 1.5 kWh an hour. At 18.31ยข per kWh that is about 27ยข an hour, or around $67 a month at 8 hours a day if it runs the whole time.
How do I calculate electricity cost?
Multiply watts by hours of use and divide by 1,000 to get kWh, then multiply by your price per kWh. A 100 W TV on 5 hours a day uses 0.5 kWh, about 9ยข a day at the U.S. average rate.
What is the average price of electricity in the U.S.?
The EIA reports a U.S. average residential price of 18.31ยข per kWh for July 2026. State averages run from about half that to more than double.
Where do I find an appliance's wattage?
Look on the nameplate sticker, the power brick or the manual. If it lists only amps, multiply amps by volts (120 in most U.S. outlets) to get watts.