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Appliance Energy Cost Calculator

Rank appliances by what they cost to run, with duty cycle, standby draw and each one's share of the bill.

Inputs

The appliance

Choose the closest appliance and the wattage and a typical duty cycle are filled in for you, or choose Custom to enter your own. The preset figures are typical published values, not the nameplate on your unit.

Used only when Custom is selected. Read it from the nameplate or the label; a plug-in monitor gives the running figure.

Count identical units you run.

How it runs

Hours it is actually working, not hours it is plugged in. A dryer cycle is about an hour of running.

A refrigerator runs 7. Laundry might run 3.

The share of those running hours the appliance draws full power. Used only when Custom is selected. Compressors and thermostats cycle: a refrigerator averages near 40 percent, an air conditioner near 70 percent, a resistance heater 100 percent.

Phantom load, if the appliance draws when it is switched off. Televisions, set-top boxes and chargers are the usual offenders. Leave 0 if it truly disconnects.

Your rate

All-in cents per kWh from the bill, including supply and delivery. The electricity bill estimator prints the effective all-in rate.

Optional. Enter the bill total to see this appliance's share of it.

Result

Cost per year
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Cost per month
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Energy per year
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Share of the monthly bill
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Cost per day
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Energy per day
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Running hours per year
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Energy used while running
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Cost of the standby draw
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Standby energy
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Standby as a share of the total
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Where this stops applying
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Calculation details
Average running hours per day
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Duty cycle used
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Preset wattage
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Wattage used
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What to check

  • Nameplate wattage, or a reading from a plug-in energy monitor
  • Running hours, days per week, and the duty cycle
  • Current all-in cents per kWh from the bill

Standards referenced

  • EIA residential electricity averages — EIA Electric Sales, Revenue, and Average Price / RECS (latest published year) · Reference data for default bill benchmarks only; your utility rate governs the actual bill.

Related calculators

Screening estimate only. The result panel lists the limits that apply to this calculation. Verify nameplate data, rates, groundwater temperatures and installer quotes before deciding, and have gas, venting and electrical installations checked against the local code by a licensed contractor.

Saved calculations

Keep the assumptions with the result.

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