Running costs, priced where you live
What does it cost to run that?
A heater, a hot tub, a dryer, a gaming PC. Pick the appliance, pick your state or country, and see the cost per hour, day, month and year at the real local electricity rate, with the sums shown.
- US prices: EIA, August 2026
- UK price: Ofgem cap, Oct to Dec 2026
- Checked 26 October 2026
Quick calculator (US rates)
Pick a preset or type the watts from the label. For the UK, open any UK appliance page, where the price cap rate is pre-filled.
Uses 1.5 kWh a day, 46 kWh a month, at 18.16 cents per kWh (US average).
The dial places the daily cost between a 50 watt fan and a 4.5 kW water heater on 2.5 hours a day.
A 1.5 kW appliance costs about 27 cents an hour to run in the US on average at 18.16 cents per kWh. Running it 1 hour a day comes to about 27 cents a day, $8.29 a month and $99.49 a year.
This season
Heating season has started in the northern hemisphere. These are the pages people open most from November to January.
- Space heater20 cents an hourat 18.16 cents per kWh
- Electric blanket0.9 cents an hourat 18.16 cents per kWh
- Dehumidifier5.4 cents an hourat 18.16 cents per kWh
- Oil-filled radiator16 cents an hourat 18.16 cents per kWh
- Clothes dryer54 cents per loadat 18.16 cents per kWh
- Hot tub$1.09 a dayat 18.16 cents per kWh
- Refrigerator1.1 cents an hourat 18.16 cents per kWh
- Gaming PC4.4 cents an hourat 18.16 cents per kWh
United States
27 appliances, every state's rate on every page.
Heating
Cooling and fans
Kitchen
Laundry and water
Living room and office
Outdoor and garage
United Kingdom
25 appliances at the Oct to Dec 2026 price cap rate of 26.32p per kWh.
Heating
Cooling and fans
Kitchen
Laundry and water
Living room and office
Outdoor and garage
How the numbers are made
Every page uses the same three steps. Power in kilowatts, times hours, gives kilowatt hours. Kilowatt hours times the unit rate gives money. Where an appliance cycles on a thermostat, a duty share is applied and shown. The electricity price on a US page is the average residential rate for your state in the latest EIA monthly table. On a UK page it is the Ofgem price cap unit rate for the current quarter. The wattage is a published typical range with its source listed, and the calculator takes your own figure from the label. Read the full method, including what the estimates cannot know about your home.
Questions people ask
How do you work out what an appliance costs to run?
Power in kilowatts times hours of use gives kilowatt hours. Kilowatt hours times your unit rate gives the cost. For things that cycle on a thermostat we apply a duty share, and for things used in bursts (a dishwasher, a kettle, a shower) we use energy per use. The method page shows every step.
Where do the electricity prices come from?
US state prices are the residential averages in the EIA Electric Power Monthly (August 2026). The UK price is the Ofgem price cap unit rate (Oct to Dec 2026). Both are linked on every page and the data file names the release.
My bill shows a different rate. Which should I use?
Yours. The rate field on every calculator is editable, and the answer updates with it. The published average is only the starting point.
Is the wattage on the page my appliance's wattage?
No. It is a typical rating from published ranges. Your label or manual has the exact figure. Type it in.