Complete guide to calculating your electricity costs accurately
Our electricity usage calculator helps you estimate the cost of running any electrical appliance or device. Whether you want to know the cost of a single appliance or track your entire household's energy usage, we've got you covered.
The calculator offers two modes:
Start by selecting an appliance from our preset database or enter a custom name. Our database includes 50+ common household appliances with typical wattage values.
Select "Refrigerator (Standard)" from the dropdown, and the wattage will automatically populate with a typical value of 150W.
Input the wattage of your appliance. You can find this information:
If your appliance shows amperage (A) and voltage (V) instead of watts, multiply them: Watts = Amps × Volts. For example: 5A × 120V = 600W
Enter how many hours per day the appliance runs. Be realistic about actual usage:
For appliances that cycle (like refrigerators and AC units), use the total hours they're "on" throughout the day, not the hours they're plugged in. Our preset values account for typical cycling patterns.
Enter how many days per month you use the appliance. Most appliances will be 30 days (all month), but some might be seasonal or occasional use.
Enter your electricity rate in dollars per kilowatt-hour ($/kWh). Find this on your electricity bill, usually listed as "Cost per kWh" or "Energy Charge."
Look at your most recent electricity bill. Your rate is typically between $0.10 and $0.30 per kWh in the U.S. The default value ($0.17) represents the 2025 national average. States with lower rates include Washington, Louisiana, and Nevada ($0.10-0.12/kWh), while Hawaii has the highest rates ($0.39-0.42/kWh).
The calculator automatically displays:
Advanced mode lets you build a complete picture of your household electricity costs by tracking multiple appliances simultaneously.
Fill in the same fields as Simple Mode (appliance name, wattage, hours, days, rate), then click "Add Appliance."
Continue adding appliances to create a comprehensive list. Each appliance shows:
See your combined household electricity costs:
Monthly costs are color-coded to help you quickly identify high-cost appliances:
Every calculation includes a comparison to the average U.S. household usage (863 kWh/month). This helps you:
Click the "Share Results" button to:
Export your calculations in multiple formats:
Click "Print Report" to create a printer-friendly version of your calculations, perfect for keeping records or sharing offline.
Always check your specific appliance's wattage rather than relying solely on typical values. Older appliances often use more power than newer, energy-efficient models.
Refrigerators and AC units don't run continuously. They cycle on and off. Our preset values account for typical duty cycles, but your actual usage may vary.
Heating and cooling costs vary by season. Calculate summer and winter separately for more accurate annual projections.
Compare your calculated total to your actual electricity bill. This helps validate your inputs and identify any missing appliances.
Use our appliance database for typical values, or look for similar appliances in the dropdown menu. You can also search online for "[appliance model] wattage."
Several factors can cause differences:
Review quarterly or when you:
If you have questions or need assistance, check our FAQ section or contact us. We're here to help!
Put this guide into practice with our free electricity calculator
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