United Kingdom Laundry and water
How much does it cost to run an electric shower?
An electric shower is the most powerful appliance in most UK homes at 7.5 to 10.5 kW. A ten minute shower on a 9 kW unit uses 1.5 kWh, so it is usually the single biggest item on the electricity bill of a home without a combi boiler.
One shower of a electric shower uses about 1.5 kWh and costs about 39p in Great Britain at 26.32 pence per kWh. At 1 shower a day that is about 39p a day, £12.02 a month and £144.20 a year.
- Price: Ofgem cap, Oct to Dec 2026
- Wattage range with its source
- Checked 26 October 2026
Uses 1.5 kWh a day, 46 kWh a month, at 26.32 pence per kWh (Great Britain (price cap 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.
One shower of a electric shower uses about 1.5 kWh and costs about 39p in Great Britain at 26.32 pence per kWh. At 1 shower a day that is about 39p a day, £12.02 a month and £144.20 a year.
What this assumes
The default is 1.5 kWh per shower, 1 shower a day. Published figures for one shower run from 1 to 2 kWh depending on the model and the setting. The energy label on the machine, or its manual, gives the figure for your model.
The price is the Ofgem price cap unit rate for 1 October to 31 December 2026, average for England, Scotland and Wales, paying by Direct Debit. The cap for 1 January to 31 March 2027 is announced in late November 2026. A fixed tariff, a time-of-use plan or a different payment method changes the rate, which is why the rate field is editable.
Cost per shower by energy used, at the price cap rate
At 26.32p per kWh. The energy label or manual gives the figure for your model and programme.
| Energy per shower | Per shower | 1 a day, per week | 1 a day, per month |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.0 kWh | 26p | £1.84 | £8.01 |
| 1.3 kWh | 33p | £2.30 | £10.01 |
| 1.5 kWh | 39p | £2.76 | £12.02 |
| 1.8 kWh | 46p | £3.22 | £14.02 |
| 2.0 kWh | 53p | £3.68 | £16.02 |
How an electric shower uses electricity
The shower heats cold mains water on the way through, so the energy is simply the power times the minutes. A 10.5 kW shower for 10 minutes is 1.75 kWh, a 7.5 kW shower for 10 minutes is 1.25 kWh.
Four people showering ten minutes each on a 9 kW unit is 6 kWh a day, about the same as a 1,500 watt heater running for four hours.
Ways to cut the cost
- Shorter showers are the whole game. Each minute on a 9 kW shower is 0.15 kWh.
- If you have a gas boiler and a hot water cylinder, a mixer shower is cheaper per minute.
Questions people ask
How much does a 10 minute electric shower cost?
On a 9 kW shower, 1.5 kWh, which is about 39p at 26.32p per kWh. On a 10.5 kW shower it is about 46p.
Is an electric shower expensive to run?
Per minute, yes, it is the most power-hungry appliance in the house. Per day it depends entirely on how long the showers are.
Other laundry and water costs
More in the UK
Sources
The electricity price on this page is read from the data file that also lists the release it came from. The wattage range is a published typical range, not a measurement of your appliance.