Electrical Energy Cost Calculator

Working out what an appliance actually costs to run

Electricity bills are based on kilowatt-hours (kWh), not watts directly, so converting an appliance's power rating and usage pattern into an actual dollar cost takes two simple steps.

Worked example

A 1500W space heater run for 4 hours a day at a rate of $0.15 per kWh:

Daily kWh = (1500W / 1000) x 4h = 6 kWh

Daily Cost = 6 kWh x $0.15 = $0.90 per day ($27.00 per month)

Appliance	Typical Wattage
LED light bulb	8 - 12 W
Laptop	30 - 65 W
Refrigerator	100 - 200 W (cycling)
Space heater	1000 - 1500 W
Central AC unit	3000 - 5000 W