Appliance running cost calculator
What anything electrical costs to run by the hour, day and year, at the electricity price for your region.
Uses Ofgem's price cap for 1 October to 31 December 2026. Prices checked 13 November 2026.
Result
An electric heater (2,500 W) costs 65.8p an hour to run at the price cap rate of 26.32p per kWh.
an hour, to the nearest penny
| A day | £1.97 |
|---|---|
| A week | £13.82 |
| A month | £60.04 |
| A year | £720.51 |
| Electricity used in a year | 2,738 kWh |
That is more electricity than a typical home uses in a year for everything (2,500 kWh).
Show the workings
| Step | Sum | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| Turn watts into kilowatts | 2,500 W ÷ 1,000 | 2.5 kW |
| Cost of one hour | 2.5 kWh × 26.32p per kWh | 65.8p |
| Cost of one day's use | 65.8p × 3 hours | £1.97 |
| Cost of one week | £1.97 × 7 days | £13.82 |
| Cost of one year | £13.82 ÷ 7 × 365 days | £720.51 |
What this leaves out or assumes
- The standing charge is left out, because you pay it whether or not you use this appliance.
- A month is one twelfth of a year.
- The appliance draws its full power for the whole time it is on.
Where the figures come from
- Electricity unit rate, price cap, Great Britain average, Direct Debit: 26.32p per kWh. Source: Ofgem: Energy price cap unit rates and standing charges. Checked 13 November 2026.
- Typical yearly electricity use, medium user: 2,500 kWh a year. Source: Ofgem: Review of typical domestic consumption values, decision (Table 1). Checked 13 November 2026.
Typical power for an electric heater is from Centre for Sustainable Energy: How much electricity am I using?. Yours may differ: check its rating plate.
What common appliances cost to run
Each cost is the appliance's typical power multiplied by the price cap rate of 26.32p per kWh, the average for Great Britain when paying by Direct Debit.
| Appliance | Typical power | An hour | 10 minutes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electric shower | 9,000 W | £2.37 | 39.5p |
| Immersion heater | 3,000 W | 79p | 13.2p |
| Kettle | 3,000 W | 79p | 13.2p |
| Electric heater | 2,500 W | 65.8p | 11p |
| Tumble dryer | 2,500 W | 65.8p | 11p |
| Oven * | 2,100 W | 55.3p | 9.2p |
| Washing machine | 2,100 W | 55.3p | 9.2p |
| Oil-filled radiator | 2,000 W | 52.6p | 8.8p |
| Hob | 2,000 W | 52.6p | 8.8p |
| Hairdryer | 2,000 W | 52.6p | 8.8p |
| Grill | 1,500 W | 39.5p | 6.6p |
| Iron | 1,500 W | 39.5p | 6.6p |
| Toaster | 1,000 W | 26.3p | 4.4p |
| Microwave | 1,000 W | 26.3p | 4.4p |
| Electric mower | 1,000 W | 26.3p | 4.4p |
| Vacuum cleaner | 900 W | 23.7p | 3.9p |
| Dehumidifier | 500 W | 13.2p | 2.2p |
| Towel rail | 450 W | 11.8p | 2p |
| Fridge-freezer * | 300 W | 7.9p | 1.3p |
| Heating blanket | 150 W | 3.9p | 0.7p |
| Freezer * | 150 W | 3.9p | 0.7p |
| Fridge * | 150 W | 3.9p | 0.7p |
| Desktop computer | 140 W | 3.7p | 0.6p |
| Games console | 120 W | 3.2p | 0.5p |
| LCD TV | 120 W | 3.2p | 0.5p |
| Laptop | 50 W | 1.3p | 0.2p |
| TV box | 40 W | 1.1p | 0.2p |
| Extractor fan | 20 W | 0.5p | 0.1p |
| Broadband router | 10 W | 0.3p | under 0.1p |
| Light bulb | 10 W | 0.3p | under 0.1p |
* Ovens, fridges and freezers switch themselves off once they reach temperature, so they draw this power only part of the time. Typical power ratings are from Centre for Sustainable Energy: How much electricity am I using?. Costs are our own sums at the current price cap.
How the sum works
Electricity is sold by the kilowatt hour (kWh). One kWh is what a 1,000 watt appliance uses in an hour. So the cost of an hour is the appliance's power in kilowatts, multiplied by the price of a kWh.
Take a 2,500 watt heater. That is 2.5 kW, so it uses 2.5 kWh an hour. At 26.32p per kWh that is 65.8p an hour. Run it for 3 hours and it costs £1.97.
Finding your appliance's power
Look for a rating plate on the back or underside, or check the manual. The power is the number followed by W or kW. If it only gives amps, multiply the amps by 230 to get watts, because mains electricity in Great Britain is supplied at 230 volts. Our watts to amps converter does this for you.
The rating is the most the appliance draws. Many use less for much of the time: a heater with a thermostat switches off once the room is warm, and a fridge only runs its motor now and then. For those, the calculator gives the most it could cost.
Where the price comes from
The price is Ofgem's energy price cap for 1 October to 31 December 2026. It is the most a supplier can charge for each kWh on a standard variable tariff. The cap is different in each of 14 regions and for each way of paying, so choose your region for a closer answer, or type in the unit rate from your bill.
Source: Ofgem: Energy price cap unit rates and standing charges. We last checked these prices on 13 November 2026.