Electricity Cost Calculator

*Costs calculated at the US average residential rate of $0.16/kWh (as of early 2026). Your actual rate may be higher — especially in California ($0.27), New England ($0.25+), or Hawaii ($0.40+). Check your bill for the exact number, and remember that delivery charges and taxes can effectively double the per-kWh cost you see on the rate schedule.

The biggest energy consumers in a typical home are heating, cooling, and hot water. A single 1,500W space heater running 8 hours a day costs nearly $60 per month. Two of them in a poorly insulated house — running through a cold winter — can add $700-1,000 to your annual electricity bill. Central air conditioning at 3,500W for 8 hours daily costs over $130 per month during summer.

Contrast that with modern efficient devices. A 65-inch LED TV running 5 hours daily costs under $2 per month. A laptop at 50W for a full workday: also under $2. LED bulbs are so efficient that lighting an entire house with 20 bulbs costs less per month than running one space heater for a single evening.

The biggest savings come from addressing the big loads, not sweating the small ones. Upgrading from a 15-year-old refrigerator (250W average) to a modern Energy Star model (100W average) saves about $70/year. Switching from electric resistance heating to a heat pump cuts heating costs by 50-70%. Adding insulation reduces both heating and cooling runtimes. These structural changes dwarf any savings from unplugging phone chargers or turning off lights — though those habits still help.

To understand how much energy you use overall and whether solar could offset it, our kWh calculator breaks down your total consumption by device and time period.

Start with the appliances that cost the most, not the ones that are easiest to unplug. Run the numbers through this calculator for every device you suspect is expensive — the results often surprise people. A slow cooker using 200W for 8 hours costs less than an oven using 2,500W for 1 hour to cook the same meal.

Switch remaining incandescent or CFL bulbs to LED. A 60W-equivalent LED uses 8-10W and lasts 25,000+ hours. At $0.16/kWh, replacing ten 60W incandescents with LEDs saves about $30/year — and you buy fewer replacement bulbs.

Use smart power strips for entertainment centers and computer setups. A TV, soundbar, game console, and streaming stick on standby draw 30-50W combined — all day, every day. A smart strip cuts power to peripherals when the main device turns off, saving $25-40/year per setup.

Run your dishwasher and washing machine only when full. A half-full dishwasher uses the same 1,500W cycle as a full one. If you run it half-loaded every day instead of full every other day, you double the energy cost for the same number of dishes.

Consider time-of-use rates if your utility offers them. Running the dryer, dishwasher, and EV charger during off-peak hours (usually 9 PM to 6 AM) can cut the effective rate by 30-50% on those loads. The appliances do the same work — you just pay less for the electricity.

For the biggest long-term savings, solar panels can eliminate or dramatically reduce your electricity bill. Our solar ROI calculator estimates the payback period based on your location and current electricity costs.