United States Kitchen
How much does it cost to run an electric kettle?
A UK kettle is 3,000 watts, which sounds expensive, but boiling a litre takes about two minutes, so one boil is about 0.1 kWh. The cost is in how often you boil and how much water you boil that you do not use.
One boil of a electric kettle uses about 0.10 kWh and costs about 1.8 cents in the US on average at 18.16 cents per kWh. At 5 boils a day that is about 9.1 cents a day, $2.76 a month and $33.16 a year.
- Prices: EIA, August 2026, every state
- Wattage range with its source
- Checked 26 October 2026
Uses 0.50 kWh a day, 15 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.
One boil of a electric kettle uses about 0.10 kWh and costs about 1.8 cents in the US on average at 18.16 cents per kWh. At 5 boils a day that is about 9.1 cents a day, $2.76 a month and $33.16 a year.
What this assumes
The default is 0.10 kWh per boil, 5 boils a day. Published figures for one boil run from 0.07 to 0.19 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 average residential rate in each state from the EIA's Electric Power Monthly for August 2026, released 23 October 2026. The next monthly table is due 24 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 to run an electric kettle in every state
Same 0.10 kWh per boil, 5 a day, priced at each state's average residential rate for August 2026. Cheapest: Nevada at 12.72 cents per kWh. Dearest: Hawaii at 47.18. Change the numbers above and the table follows.
| State | Rate | Per boil | Per day | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nevada | 12.72c | 1.3 cents | 6.4 cents | $1.94 | $23.23 |
| Louisiana | 12.87c | 1.3 cents | 6.4 cents | $1.96 | $23.50 |
| North Dakota | 13.31c | 1.3 cents | 6.7 cents | $2.03 | $24.31 |
| Utah | 13.31c | 1.3 cents | 6.7 cents | $2.03 | $24.31 |
| Idaho | 13.37c | 1.3 cents | 6.7 cents | $2.03 | $24.42 |
| Tennessee | 13.42c | 1.3 cents | 6.7 cents | $2.04 | $24.51 |
| Nebraska | 13.54c | 1.4 cents | 6.8 cents | $2.06 | $24.73 |
| Kentucky | 13.8c | 1.4 cents | 6.9 cents | $2.10 | $25.20 |
| Arkansas | 14.37c | 1.4 cents | 7.2 cents | $2.19 | $26.24 |
| Mississippi | 14.43c | 1.4 cents | 7.2 cents | $2.20 | $26.35 |
| Wyoming | 14.43c | 1.4 cents | 7.2 cents | $2.20 | $26.35 |
| Washington | 14.63c | 1.5 cents | 7.3 cents | $2.23 | $26.72 |
| Oklahoma | 14.82c | 1.5 cents | 7.4 cents | $2.26 | $27.07 |
| North Carolina | 14.95c | 1.5 cents | 7.5 cents | $2.28 | $27.30 |
| Florida | 14.99c | 1.5 cents | 7.5 cents | $2.28 | $27.38 |
| Arizona | 15.05c | 1.5 cents | 7.5 cents | $2.29 | $27.49 |
| South Dakota | 15.15c | 1.5 cents | 7.6 cents | $2.31 | $27.67 |
| Kansas | 15.47c | 1.5 cents | 7.7 cents | $2.35 | $28.25 |
| Montana | 15.57c | 1.6 cents | 7.8 cents | $2.37 | $28.43 |
| South Carolina | 15.76c | 1.6 cents | 7.9 cents | $2.40 | $28.78 |
| Georgia | 15.9c | 1.6 cents | 8 cents | $2.42 | $29.04 |
| Texas | 15.91c | 1.6 cents | 8 cents | $2.42 | $29.06 |
| Oregon | 15.92c | 1.6 cents | 8 cents | $2.42 | $29.07 |
| Missouri | 16.02c | 1.6 cents | 8 cents | $2.44 | $29.26 |
| West Virginia | 16.31c | 1.6 cents | 8.2 cents | $2.48 | $29.79 |
| Alabama | 16.33c | 1.6 cents | 8.2 cents | $2.49 | $29.82 |
| New Mexico | 16.51c | 1.7 cents | 8.3 cents | $2.51 | $30.15 |
| Indiana | 17.02c | 1.7 cents | 8.5 cents | $2.59 | $31.08 |
| Iowa | 17.06c | 1.7 cents | 8.5 cents | $2.60 | $31.16 |
| Colorado | 17.17c | 1.7 cents | 8.6 cents | $2.61 | $31.36 |
| Minnesota | 17.2c | 1.7 cents | 8.6 cents | $2.62 | $31.41 |
| Virginia | 17.64c | 1.8 cents | 8.8 cents | $2.68 | $32.22 |
| Delaware | 18.7c | 1.9 cents | 9.4 cents | $2.85 | $34.15 |
| Illinois | 19.32c | 1.9 cents | 9.7 cents | $2.94 | $35.28 |
| Ohio | 19.38c | 1.9 cents | 9.7 cents | $2.95 | $35.39 |
| Wisconsin | 19.41c | 1.9 cents | 9.7 cents | $2.95 | $35.45 |
| Maryland | 21.4c | 2.1 cents | 11 cents | $3.26 | $39.08 |
| Pennsylvania | 21.77c | 2.2 cents | 11 cents | $3.31 | $39.76 |
| Michigan | 22.99c | 2.3 cents | 11 cents | $3.50 | $41.99 |
| Vermont | 23.84c | 2.4 cents | 12 cents | $3.63 | $43.54 |
| Connecticut | 24.51c | 2.5 cents | 12 cents | $3.73 | $44.76 |
| New Jersey | 24.61c | 2.5 cents | 12 cents | $3.75 | $44.94 |
| District of Columbia | 25.98c | 2.6 cents | 13 cents | $3.95 | $47.45 |
| New Hampshire | 27.64c | 2.8 cents | 14 cents | $4.21 | $50.48 |
| Rhode Island | 28.18c | 2.8 cents | 14 cents | $4.29 | $51.46 |
| New York | 28.65c | 2.9 cents | 14 cents | $4.36 | $52.32 |
| Alaska | 29.41c | 2.9 cents | 15 cents | $4.48 | $53.71 |
| California | 29.75c | 3 cents | 15 cents | $4.53 | $54.33 |
| Massachusetts | 30.48c | 3 cents | 15 cents | $4.64 | $55.66 |
| Maine | 32.11c | 3.2 cents | 16 cents | $4.89 | $58.64 |
| Hawaii | 47.18c | 4.7 cents | 24 cents | $7.18 | $86.16 |
Rates: EIA Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A, residential sector, August 2026, preliminary. All rates with the year-on-year change.
How an electric kettle uses electricity
Boiling a full 1.7 litre kettle uses about 0.19 kWh. Boiling one mug of water (about 300 ml) uses about 0.035 kWh. Five full boils a day costs more than twice five mug boils.
US kettles on 120 volts are 1,500 watts and take twice as long, but the energy per litre is the same.
Ways to cut the cost
- Boil only what you need.
- Descale it. Limescale on the element slows the boil.
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to boil a kettle?
About 0.1 kWh for a litre, which is about 2.6p at 26.32p per kWh or about 2 cents at 18 cents per kWh. A full 1.7 litre kettle is about 5p.
Is it cheaper to boil water in a kettle or on the hob?
The kettle. It puts almost all its energy into the water. A gas hob loses most of the heat around the pan, and an electric hob heats the ring and the pan as well as the water.
Other kitchen costs
More in the US
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.