Electricity Cost
Find out what an appliance really costs you: enter its power in watts, hours of use per day and your electricity rate, and see the cost per day, month and year.
How to calculate what an appliance costs to run
The formula is: watts × hours of use ÷ 1,000 = kWh consumed, multiplied by your price per kWh to get the cost. You'll find the wattage on the appliance's nameplate or in the manual; your electricity rate is on your utility bill under the supply or generation charge (in the US it typically ranges from $0.10 to $0.30 per kWh depending on the state). One caveat: for appliances that cycle on and off — refrigerators, air conditioners, washing machines — the nameplate shows the maximum power, not the average. A fridge rated at 150 W actually draws 30–50 W on average because the compressor runs intermittently, which is why the "refrigerator" preset uses 40 W over 24 hours.
Standby power and the real energy hogs
The big costs come from heating elements and motors: ovens, clothes dryers, air conditioners and water heaters easily exceed a kilowatt, while a TV or router on standby draws little per hour but stays plugged in thousands of hours a year. A smart plug with an energy monitor tells you each device's real consumption, and switching to LED bulbs cuts lighting costs by up to 80%. Keep in mind the result is an estimate: your actual bill also includes fixed charges, delivery fees and taxes, which this calculator doesn't cover.