Electricity Cost Calculator
Find out how much your appliances are really costing you to run. Add your appliances, enter how often you use them, and see how many kWh each one uses and what that costs per day, month and year.
For example, a 2,000 W appliance costs about €0.60 for every hour it runs at €0.30 per kWh.
No sign-up required. Enter your own electricity rate for a more accurate estimate.
CALCULATE YOUR RUNNING COSTS
Electricity Cost Calculator
Estimate what your appliances cost to run
How it works
See what your appliances really cost to run
Enter the power consumption of an appliance, how often you use it and your electricity price. The calculator estimates the energy it uses and shows the approximate cost per day, month and year. The sources and assumptions behind it are on our How we calculate page.
Wattage
Enter the appliance's power consumption in watts (W). You can usually find this on the appliance label, manual or manufacturer's specifications.
Usage
Tell the calculator how many hours per day and days per week you normally use the appliance.
Electricity Price
Enter your electricity cost per kWh. Check your latest electricity bill if you're unsure what rate to use.
Example Appliance Costs
What does it cost to run common appliances?
The cost of running an appliance depends on its power consumption, how long you use it and the price you pay for electricity. These examples give you an idea of how different appliances can compare.
*Examples use an electricity rate of €0.30/kWh. Actual costs vary according to appliance efficiency, usage and your electricity tariff.
Understand your result
What can you do with your running cost?
Knowing what an appliance costs to run can help you decide whether your current equipment is worth keeping, changing how you use it, or replacing it with something more efficient.
Use it less
Small changes to how and when you use an appliance can reduce its running cost without replacing it.
Use it more efficiently
Check whether settings, maintenance or operating conditions could reduce the energy an appliance uses.
Consider replacing it
If an appliance is expensive to run, compare its ongoing cost with a newer, more efficient alternative.
Explore more tools
More practical tools, all in one place
Use simple checks, pickers and planners to make better decisions about your home, equipment and energy use.
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Compare the running cost of your current appliance with potential replacements.
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Estimate your whole home's heat loss, the heat pump size it needs and what heating costs a year.
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Tap the symbols on a care label to see what they mean and the wash, dry and iron settings to use.
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Build up a wall, loft, roof or floor layer by layer to see its U-value and what its heat loss costs.
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Work out the pole length, curtain width and drop, the ready-made size to buy and the fabric to make them.
TV Size Calculator
Find the best TV size for where you sit, or the best seat for your TV, and how high to mount it.
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Find the fitting, brightness and colour of the LED to replace any bulb, and keep a list of your bulbs.
Common questions
Frequently asked questions about appliance running costs
Use this electricity cost calculator to estimate how much your appliances use and what that electricity may cost. The answers below explain the figures and how to make your estimate more accurate.
How do I calculate how much an appliance costs to run?
Convert the appliance’s power from watts to kilowatts by dividing by 1,000, then multiply by the hours it runs and your electricity price per kilowatt-hour. The calculator uses your hours per day, days per week and electricity rate to estimate daily, monthly and annual costs.
How do I calculate kWh?
Multiply the appliance’s power in watts by the hours it runs, then divide by 1,000. For example, a 2,000 W heater used for 3 hours uses 2,000 × 3 ÷ 1,000 = 6 kWh. Multiply the kWh by your price per kWh to get the cost: 6 kWh at €0.30 is €1.80. The calculator does this for every appliance and shows the kWh per day and per month.
What electricity price should I enter?
Enter the unit price you pay per kilowatt-hour (kWh), shown on your electricity bill or tariff information. Use the energy unit rate rather than fixed daily or monthly standing charges, because this calculator estimates the cost of electricity an appliance uses.
Where can I find an appliance’s wattage?
Check the rating label on the appliance, its manual or the manufacturer’s specifications. The figure may be shown in watts (W) or kilowatts (kW); 1 kW equals 1,000 W. For appliances that switch on and off automatically, rated wattage may be higher than their average power use.
How much does a 2,000-watt appliance cost to run?
At €0.30 per kWh, a 2,000 W appliance running for four hours a day costs about €2.40 per day, or around €876 per year if used every day. Change the hours and electricity price in the calculator to match your own use and tariff.
Are the running cost estimates exact?
No. They are estimates based on the wattage, usage pattern and electricity price you enter. Actual consumption can vary with appliance efficiency, settings, temperature, cycles and how often the appliance runs. Your bill may also include fixed charges that are not part of this appliance estimate.
Why can a fridge or dehumidifier use less energy than its rated wattage suggests?
Many appliances do not draw their full rated power continuously. A fridge compressor or dehumidifier may cycle on and off to maintain a temperature or humidity level, so its average consumption can be lower than its rated wattage multiplied by every hour of the day.
How much does a dehumidifier cost to run?
A typical 10-litre compressor dehumidifier uses about 245 W. Running for 7.5 hours a day it uses about 1.8 kWh, which costs about €0.55 a day or €200 a year at €0.30 per kWh (about £0.48 a day or £175 a year at £0.26 per kWh). Desiccant models, made for cold rooms, use more. Add “Dehumidifier” from the calculator’s appliance list to use your own hours and price, or use the Dehumidifier Picker to find the right size.