Appliance Energy Cost Calculator

Enter an appliance's wattage, how long it runs, and your electricity rate to see what it really costs per day, month, and year — results update instantly and nothing leaves your browser.

📖 How it works & FAQ

Appliance preset (optional)

Power (watts)

Hours used per day

Days used per week

Electricity rate ($ per kWh)

How the math works

Electricity is billed by the kilowatt-hour (kWh) — one kilowatt of power running for one hour. This calculator converts your appliance's wattage to kilowatts (watts divided by 1,000), multiplies by the hours it runs each day to get daily kWh, then multiplies by your rate in dollars per kWh to get the daily cost. Monthly and yearly totals scale that up by the number of days per week you actually use the appliance, so a dryer that runs twice a week is costed fairly against a fridge that never takes a day off.

Example: a 1,500-watt space heater running 4 hours a day at $0.17 per kWh uses 1.5 kW × 4 h = 6 kWh per day, which costs $1.02 per day — roughly $31 a month and $372 a year if you run it daily. Results are estimates; your bill also includes fixed delivery charges and taxes.

How to use it

Pick an appliance preset, or type the wattage printed on the appliance's label or power brick into the Power field.
Enter how many hours it runs on a typical day it's in use.
Set how many days per week you use it — 7 for always-on devices, 2 for a weekend-only tool.
Enter your electricity rate from your utility bill. The daily, monthly, and yearly cost cards update as you type.

FAQ

Where do I find an appliance's wattage?: Check the label on the back or bottom, the power adapter, or the manual. If only volts and amps are listed, multiply them: watts = volts × amps. A cheap plug-in power meter gives the most accurate real-world number.
Why does my refrigerator cost less than its label suggests?: Fridges and AC units cycle on and off, so they draw their rated power only part of the time. Use an average running wattage (about 100–200 W for a fridge) or enter just the hours the compressor actually runs — typically 8 or so per day.
What electricity rate should I use?: Divide your bill's total charges by the kWh used for your true effective rate — usually higher than the advertised supply rate. The U.S. average is around $0.17 per kWh; time-of-use plans vary by hour.
Does this work for 240-volt appliances like dryers or EV chargers?: Yes. The formula is identical at any voltage — just enter the appliance's total wattage (volts × amps) and its real usage hours.