Electricity Cost Calculator
List your appliances with their power, how long they run and on how many days. Enter your price per kWh from your bill, and see the cost a day, a month and a year.
This is an estimate. The price shown is an example, so use the unit rate from your own bill.
Worked examples
A television
100 W for 5 hours a day, every day, at 27p per kWh
0.5 kWh a day, 13.5p a day, £49.28 a year
Used for a whole year the television costs about £4.11 a month.
About Electricity Cost Calculator
An electricity cost calculator shows what your appliances cost to run. The cost is the power in kilowatts, multiplied by the hours it is on, multiplied by the price of a unit of electricity, which is one kilowatt hour (kWh). A 100 watt television on for five hours uses half a unit, and at 27p a unit that costs 13.5p a day, or about £49 a year.
List as many appliances as you like. The tool adds them up for the day, week, month and year, and a table shows which one costs the most. A list of common appliances fills in a typical power, which you can swap for the figure on the label. Use the unit rate on your own bill for the price. Many appliances cycle on and off, so use the average time they are really running.
How to use Electricity Cost Calculator
- Enter the price per kWh in pence from your bill.
- Add each appliance with its power in watts, the hours a day and the days a week.
- Use the list to add common appliances.
- Read the cost a day, month and year.
Common uses
- Finding what is pushing up your bill
- Comparing a heater with a heated blanket
- Checking the cost of working from home
- Deciding whether to replace an old fridge
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate the cost of running an appliance?
Divide the watts by 1,000 to get kilowatts, multiply by the hours used, then by the price per kWh. A 2,000 watt heater for 3 hours at 27p is 2 times 3 times 27p, which is £1.62.
Where do I find the watts?
On the label or in the manual, in watts (W) or kilowatts (kW). If it shows amps, multiply by 230 volts to get watts.
Why is my real cost different?
Many appliances do not use full power all the time. A fridge freezer cycles on and off, a washing machine heats water only for part of a cycle, and a kettle only runs while it boils.
Does this include the standing charge?
No. The standing charge is a fixed daily amount whatever you use. This tool works out the cost of the units only.
Which appliances cost the most?
Those that make heat: electric showers, ovens, kettles, tumble dryers, immersion heaters and portable heaters. They draw several kilowatts, so even short use adds up.