How to read this chart
Each row shows a typical wattage for a mid-range model, a typical usage pattern, and the resulting monthly cost at the U.S. average rate of 18.34¢ per kWh (June 2026, EIA). Rows marked avg are appliances that cycle on and off, such as refrigerators and air conditioners; for those, the wattage is an average over the hours listed rather than the peak draw on the label.
Three reminders before you use the numbers:
- Hours matter as much as watts. A 15 W router running all month costs more than a 1,500 W kettle used two minutes a day. Sort by the cost column, not the watts column, when deciding what to tackle.
- Your rate changes everything. Multiply the cost column by roughly 0.7 in Nevada and by 1.9 in California. The electricity cost calculator does this for any state.
- Old appliances break the chart. A 1995 refrigerator or a 20-year-old central AC can use two to three times the figure shown. Measure them.
These are the same presets built into the calculator, so you can click through and adjust hours, quantity and rate for any of them.
Heating & cooling
| Appliance | Watts | Typical use | kWh / month | Cost / month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Space heater (1,500 W) | 1,500 | 8 h × 7 d/wk | 364 kWh | $66.76 |
| Space heater, low setting (750 W) | 750 | 8 h × 7 d/wk | 182 kWh | $33.38 |
| Oil-filled radiator heater | 1,500 | 8 h × 7 d/wk | 364 kWh | $66.76 |
| Electric fireplace (heat on) | 1,500 | 4 h × 7 d/wk | 182 kWh | $33.38 |
| Baseboard heater (per 4 ft unit) | 1,000 | 8 h × 7 d/wk | 243 kWh | $44.51 |
| Heat pump, 3-ton (running) (avg) | 3,000 | 6 h × 7 d/wk | 546 kWh | $100 |
| Window AC, 5,000 BTU (avg) | 450 | 8 h × 7 d/wk | 109 kWh | $20.03 |
| Window AC, 12,000 BTU (avg) | 1,100 | 8 h × 7 d/wk | 267 kWh | $48.96 |
| Portable AC, 10,000 BTU (avg) | 1,000 | 8 h × 7 d/wk | 243 kWh | $44.51 |
| Mini-split, 12,000 BTU (avg) | 800 | 8 h × 7 d/wk | 194 kWh | $35.60 |
| Central AC, 3-ton (avg) | 3,500 | 8 h × 7 d/wk | 849 kWh | $156 |
| Ceiling fan | 60 | 8 h × 7 d/wk | 15 kWh | $2.67 |
| Box fan (20 in) | 75 | 8 h × 7 d/wk | 18 kWh | $3.34 |
| Tower fan | 50 | 8 h × 7 d/wk | 12 kWh | $2.23 |
| Dehumidifier (50 pint) (avg) | 500 | 10 h × 7 d/wk | 152 kWh | $27.82 |
| Humidifier (evaporative) | 40 | 10 h × 7 d/wk | 12 kWh | $2.23 |
| Air purifier (medium room) | 50 | 24 h × 7 d/wk | 36 kWh | $6.68 |
| Gas furnace blower fan | 500 | 6 h × 7 d/wk | 91 kWh | $16.69 |
| Electric water heater (40 gal tank) | 4,500 | 3 h × 7 d/wk | 410 kWh | $75.10 |
| Tankless electric water heater | 18,000 | 0.5 h × 7 d/wk | 273 kWh | $50.07 |
| Electric blanket | 100 | 8 h × 7 d/wk | 24 kWh | $4.45 |
| Heated mattress pad | 100 | 8 h × 7 d/wk | 24 kWh | $4.45 |
Kitchen
| Appliance | Watts | Typical use | kWh / month | Cost / month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Refrigerator (modern, 18-22 cu ft) (avg) | 60 | 24 h × 7 d/wk | 44 kWh | $8.01 |
| Refrigerator (older, pre-2005) (avg) | 150 | 24 h × 7 d/wk | 109 kWh | $20.03 |
| Mini fridge (avg) | 30 | 24 h × 7 d/wk | 22 kWh | $4.01 |
| Chest freezer (15 cu ft) (avg) | 40 | 24 h × 7 d/wk | 29 kWh | $5.34 |
| Wine fridge (avg) | 35 | 24 h × 7 d/wk | 25 kWh | $4.67 |
| Microwave (1,100 W) | 1,100 | 0.25 h × 7 d/wk | 8.3 kWh | $1.53 |
| Electric oven (avg) | 2,400 | 1 h × 5 d/wk | 52 kWh | $9.54 |
| Electric stovetop, large burner | 2,000 | 0.5 h × 7 d/wk | 30 kWh | $5.56 |
| Induction cooktop (one zone) | 1,800 | 0.5 h × 7 d/wk | 27 kWh | $5.01 |
| Air fryer | 1,500 | 0.5 h × 5 d/wk | 16 kWh | $2.98 |
| Toaster oven | 1,200 | 0.25 h × 7 d/wk | 9.1 kWh | $1.67 |
| Toaster (2 slice) | 900 | 0.1 h × 7 d/wk | 2.7 kWh | 50¢ |
| Drip coffee maker | 1,000 | 0.25 h × 7 d/wk | 7.6 kWh | $1.39 |
| Espresso machine | 1,300 | 0.2 h × 7 d/wk | 7.9 kWh | $1.45 |
| Electric kettle | 1,500 | 0.15 h × 7 d/wk | 6.8 kWh | $1.25 |
| Dishwasher (one cycle) (avg) | 1,200 | 1 h × 5 d/wk | 26 kWh | $4.77 |
| Slow cooker | 200 | 6 h × 2 d/wk | 10 kWh | $1.91 |
| Electric pressure cooker | 1,000 | 0.5 h × 3 d/wk | 6.5 kWh | $1.19 |
| Rice cooker | 600 | 0.5 h × 4 d/wk | 5.2 kWh | 95¢ |
| Blender | 500 | 0.05 h × 7 d/wk | 0.8 kWh | 14¢ |
| Garbage disposal | 700 | 0.05 h × 7 d/wk | 1.1 kWh | 19¢ |
Laundry & cleaning
| Appliance | Watts | Typical use | kWh / month | Cost / month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clothes dryer, electric (per load) | 3,000 | 1 h × 4 d/wk | 52 kWh | $9.54 |
| Heat pump dryer (per load) | 1,000 | 1.5 h × 4 d/wk | 26 kWh | $4.77 |
| Washing machine (per load) | 500 | 1 h × 4 d/wk | 8.7 kWh | $1.59 |
| Vacuum cleaner | 1,000 | 0.5 h × 2 d/wk | 4.3 kWh | 79¢ |
| Robot vacuum (charging) | 30 | 3 h × 7 d/wk | 2.7 kWh | 50¢ |
| Clothes iron | 1,200 | 0.25 h × 2 d/wk | 2.6 kWh | 48¢ |
| Hair dryer | 1,800 | 0.15 h × 7 d/wk | 8.2 kWh | $1.50 |
Entertainment & office
| Appliance | Watts | Typical use | kWh / month | Cost / month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TV, 55 in LED | 80 | 5 h × 7 d/wk | 12 kWh | $2.23 |
| TV, 65 in OLED | 150 | 5 h × 7 d/wk | 23 kWh | $4.17 |
| TV, 75 in QLED | 200 | 5 h × 7 d/wk | 30 kWh | $5.56 |
| Gaming PC (with monitor) | 450 | 4 h × 7 d/wk | 55 kWh | $10.01 |
| Desktop PC (with monitor) | 200 | 8 h × 5 d/wk | 35 kWh | $6.36 |
| Laptop | 50 | 8 h × 5 d/wk | 8.7 kWh | $1.59 |
| PlayStation 5 | 200 | 3 h × 7 d/wk | 18 kWh | $3.34 |
| Xbox Series X | 160 | 3 h × 7 d/wk | 15 kWh | $2.67 |
| Wi-Fi router + modem | 15 | 24 h × 7 d/wk | 11 kWh | $2.00 |
| Cable box or streaming device | 15 | 24 h × 7 d/wk | 11 kWh | $2.00 |
| Soundbar | 30 | 5 h × 7 d/wk | 4.5 kWh | 83¢ |
| Home server or NAS | 40 | 24 h × 7 d/wk | 29 kWh | $5.34 |
| 3D printer | 120 | 8 h × 3 d/wk | 12 kWh | $2.29 |
| Phone charger | 5 | 2 h × 7 d/wk | 0.3 kWh | 6¢ |
Lighting
| Appliance | Watts | Typical use | kWh / month | Cost / month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LED bulb (9 W, 60 W equivalent) | 9 | 5 h × 7 d/wk | 1.4 kWh | 25¢ |
| Incandescent bulb (60 W) | 60 | 5 h × 7 d/wk | 9.1 kWh | $1.67 |
| CFL bulb (14 W) | 14 | 5 h × 7 d/wk | 2.1 kWh | 39¢ |
| LED strip or string lights (5 m) | 30 | 6 h × 7 d/wk | 5.5 kWh | $1.00 |
| LED grow light | 150 | 14 h × 7 d/wk | 64 kWh | $11.68 |
| Outdoor floodlight (LED) | 20 | 10 h × 7 d/wk | 6.1 kWh | $1.11 |
Outdoor, garage & health
| Appliance | Watts | Typical use | kWh / month | Cost / month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EV charger, Level 2 (7.2 kW) | 7,200 | 1.5 h × 7 d/wk | 328 kWh | $60.08 |
| EV charger, Level 1 (wall outlet) | 1,400 | 8 h × 7 d/wk | 340 kWh | $62.31 |
| Hot tub (average, incl. heating) (avg) | 400 | 24 h × 7 d/wk | 291 kWh | $53.41 |
| Pool pump, 1.5 HP | 1,500 | 8 h × 7 d/wk | 364 kWh | $66.76 |
| Pool pump, variable speed | 400 | 10 h × 7 d/wk | 121 kWh | $22.25 |
| Well pump (1 HP) | 1,000 | 1 h × 7 d/wk | 30 kWh | $5.56 |
| Sump pump | 800 | 0.5 h × 7 d/wk | 12 kWh | $2.23 |
| Aquarium, 50 gal (heater + filter) (avg) | 100 | 24 h × 7 d/wk | 73 kWh | $13.35 |
| Treadmill (in use) | 700 | 0.5 h × 4 d/wk | 6.1 kWh | $1.11 |
| Oxygen concentrator (5 L) | 300 | 24 h × 7 d/wk | 218 kWh | $40.05 |
| CPAP machine | 40 | 8 h × 7 d/wk | 9.7 kWh | $1.78 |
| Garage door opener | 500 | 0.05 h × 7 d/wk | 0.8 kWh | 14¢ |
| Engine block heater | 1,000 | 4 h × 7 d/wk | 121 kWh | $22.25 |
The patterns worth noticing
Anything that makes heat is expensive. Water heaters, space heaters, dryers, ovens and electric furnaces all convert electricity into heat at 1,500 to 18,000 W. That is physics, not inefficiency: heating a room or a tank of water simply takes a lot of energy. It is why a heat pump, which moves heat instead of making it, cuts the same job's cost by half to two-thirds.
Anything that runs 24 hours a day adds up. A hot tub averaging 400 W, an aquarium at 100 W, a home server at 40 W or an oxygen concentrator at 300 W each cost more per month than most people guess, because there is no off switch. The phantom load guide covers the smaller always-on draws.
Cooking and cleaning are cheaper than they look. A 1,500 W air fryer sounds expensive, but 30 minutes a day is only 0.75 kWh, about 14¢. Microwaves, kettles, toasters and blenders are the same story: high watts, tiny hours.
Lighting is now almost free. Ten LED bulbs running five hours a day cost about $2.51 a month. The same ten bulbs as incandescents would be $16.73. If you still have incandescent or halogen bulbs anywhere, that is the fastest payback in the house.
For a ranked list of where the money goes, see the most expensive appliances to run.