# Electricity Cost Calculator — Appliance Running Cost

> Calculate the electricity cost of any appliance or device. Enter watts, hours per day, and your electricity rate to see daily, monthly, and yearly running costs. Multi-currency, instant, free.

- **Category:** Lifestyle & Everyday
- **Interactive calculator:** https://youcalc.com/en/lifestyle-everyday/electricity-cost/
- **Price:** Free, no sign-up required

## Overview

This calculator tells you how much a device or appliance costs to run — per day, per month, and per year. Enter the power draw in watts, how many hours a day it operates, how many units you have, and your local electricity rate. The result updates instantly so you can spot the biggest energy consumers in your home or office.

## How to read your result

The three headline figures are the daily, monthly (30-day), and yearly (365-day) running costs. A kilowatt-hour (kWh) is the standard billing unit: one kWh is the energy used by a 1,000-watt device running for one hour. Your bill converts kWh into a money amount using your tariff rate. Note that electricity rates vary widely by country, region, and time-of-use tariff — some utilities charge more during peak hours — so use the exact rate from your most recent bill for the closest estimate.

## Method

Energy consumed per day (across all units) equals power in kilowatts multiplied by hours of use multiplied by quantity: daily kWh = (watts ÷ 1,000) × hours per day × quantity. Running cost then follows directly: daily cost = daily kWh × rate per kWh. Monthly cost = daily cost × 30. Yearly cost = daily cost × 365.

## Example

- **Setup:** A 1,000-watt microwave runs 3 hours per day, quantity 1, at a rate of 0.15 per kWh.
- **Result:** Daily energy use is 3 kWh (1,000 W ÷ 1,000 × 3 h). Daily cost is 0.45, monthly cost is 13.50 (0.45 × 30), and yearly cost is 164.25 (0.45 × 365).

## Frequently asked questions

### Where do I find the wattage of my appliance?

Check the label on the back or bottom of the device, the product manual, or the manufacturer's website. Most appliances list a rated wattage. If a range is given (e.g. 600–1,200 W), use the average or the setting you most often use.

### Where do I find my electricity rate?

Look at your electricity bill — the rate is usually shown as a price per kilowatt-hour (kWh). If your utility uses a tiered or time-of-use tariff, use the tier that applies to the hours you run the appliance.

### Why does the calculator use a 30-day month?

A fixed 30-day month keeps monthly and yearly estimates consistent and comparable across all periods. The yearly figure always equals the daily cost multiplied by 365.

### Can I calculate the cost for multiple identical devices?

Yes — set the quantity field to the number of identical devices. The calculator multiplies the energy use and cost by that count before displaying results.

### Does standby or idle power count?

Standby power is real but typically small (often 1–5 W per device). You can add a second calculation with the standby wattage and the hours the device is plugged in but not actively used to get a more complete picture.

## Related calculators

- [Fuel Cost Calculator](https://youcalc.com/en/lifestyle-everyday/fuel-cost/)
- [Tip Calculator](https://youcalc.com/en/lifestyle-everyday/tip/)
- [Percentage Calculator](https://youcalc.com/en/math/percentage/)
- [Unit Converter](https://youcalc.com/en/conversions-units/unit-converter/)

## Sources

- https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/estimating-appliance-and-home-electronic-energy-use
- https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/electricity/measuring-electricity.php

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Interactive version: https://youcalc.com/en/lifestyle-everyday/electricity-cost/ · From YouCalc — https://youcalc.com