Electricity Bill Calculator
This free electricity bill calculator estimates your monthly bill from your home size or your actual kWh usage, at your own rate.
- Free
- No sign-up
- Uses your own rate
- Runs in your browser
- Works on your phone
Find this on a recent bill as the energy or supply charge per kWh.
Estimated bill
Enter your rate to see your estimate.
If you don't have a bill yet, estimate from your home's size. If you do, use your actual kWh usage. Either way, your own electricity rate is what makes the number accurate.
How this estimate works
I don’t know my usage (Mode A): This mode applies a rough planning formula: your square footage times a typical usage-per-square-foot figure for your home type, adjusted for climate (hot-summer and cold-winter climates use more electricity for cooling and heating than mild climates). This is a general planning estimate, not a precise model of your specific home. Your actual insulation, appliances, occupancy, and habits all matter more than this formula can know.
I know my monthly usage (Mode B): This mode is a direct calculation: your entered kWh times your rate, plus any fixed monthly fee, plus any tax or surcharge percentage you add. There's no estimation involved here. It's the same math your utility uses on your bill.
Worked examples
Mode A: A 1,500 sq ft single-family home in a mild climate, at an example rate of $0.1648/kWh, comes out to roughly 1,200 kWh a month and about $198 a month. Use your own rate for a real number.
Mode B: 900 kWh at that same example rate, with no fixed fee or tax added, comes out to about $148 a month.
What this estimate doesn’t include
- Seasonal swings in usage month to month
- Fixed utility fees and delivery charges (unless you add one in Mode B)
- Local taxes (unless you add one in Mode B)
- Differences between rate plans, such as tiered or time-of-use pricing
In Texas specifically, the Texas Electricity Bill Calculator breaks a bill into its energy charge, TDU delivery charge, and base fee separately, which matches how Texas's deregulated market actually bills you.
Mode B of this calculator (known usage) applies your entered kWh figure and rate directly. It's exact arithmetic, not a model. Mode A (by home size) uses this site's own planning assumptions, not a government dataset: about 0.6 kWh per square foot per month for an apartment, 0.8 for a single-family house, and 0.9 for a mobile home, raised 20% for hot summers and 15% for cold winters. They're rough figures for planning before you have a bill, as the "how this estimate works" section above explains. Figures were last checked September 2026 and reviewed periodically. Cedrick Reese built this bill calculator and revisits the home-size planning ranges whenever the source figures shift.
Frequently asked questions
Which mode should I use?
Use "I know my usage" (Mode B) whenever you have a recent bill in hand, since it's a straight calculation from your real kWh number and will be far more accurate than an estimate based on home size. Use "I don't know my usage" (Mode A) only when you're planning ahead, such as before moving into a new place, and don't have a bill yet.
Why does the home-size estimate feel off from my actual bill?
The home-size estimate is a rough planning figure based on typical square-footage usage patterns, not your specific home's insulation, appliances, occupancy, or thermostat habits, all of which move real usage a lot. Once you have an actual bill, switch to Mode B for an accurate number.
Does this include delivery fees and taxes?
Mode B lets you add an optional fixed monthly fee and a tax/surcharge percentage if you know them. Mode A does not, since those vary by utility and aren't part of a home-size-based estimate. Neither mode assumes a specific utility's fee structure.
I'm in Texas. Should I use this calculator?
You can, but the Texas Electricity Bill Calculator gives a more accurate breakdown for Texas's deregulated market, separating out the energy charge, TDU delivery charge, and base fee as three line items instead of one blended estimate.
If your actual bill lands well above this estimate, find out what's behind a high electric bill.
Related tools
- Bill higher than expected? Check the common causes, from season to billing days.
- Check your effective cost per kWh
- Only have a meter reading? Use two readings and your rate to calculate cost directly.
- Break your bill down appliance by appliance with the full usage & cost calculator
- Is your bill normal? See average home electricity usage for comparison.
- What does electricity cost?: understand what's driving your rate.
- Cost to charge an EV at home: a different kind of bill add-on with its own math.
This calculator provides estimates only. Mode A's home-size estimate is a rough planning figure and Mode B's usage-based estimate does not account for rate-plan specifics, tiered pricing, or fees your utility may apply beyond what you enter.