How much does 1 kWh of electricity cost?

The US residential average was 18.31 cents in July 2026, according to the EIA — 15.88 cents in Texas and 33.61 in California. Your bill shows your own price.

How many kWh does a house use a month?

About 899 kWh on average in the US in 2022 (10,791 a year), according to the EIA, with a wide range by state and season.

How do I calculate what an appliance costs to run?

Watts × hours ÷ 1,000 = kWh, then × your price. A 1,500 W heater for 3 hours is 4.5 kWh; at 18 cents, 81 cents a day.

How much does it cost to run a 100 W bulb for 10 hours?

100 × 10 ÷ 1,000 = 1 kWh, so one kWh's price — about 18 cents at the US average.

What uses the most electricity in a home?

Anything that makes heat or cold: space and water heating, air conditioning, clothes dryers, ovens and kettles. A device's wattage times its hours of use decides its share, so a 10 W bulb left on all day costs far less than a 3,000 W dryer run for an hour.

Electricity Cost Calculator: Monthly Bill or Appliance Cost per kWh

A monthly electricity bill from kWh and price, or what one appliance costs to run from its watts and hours.

Inputs

Work out

Electricity used(kWh)

0 kWh50,000 kWh

From your bill. The average US home used 899 kWh a month in 2022 (EIA).

Price per kWh

0100

From your bill. The US average was 18.31¢ in July 2026 (EIA) — enter 0.18 for dollars.

Fixed monthly charge

010,000

Include CalculateEveryday mark

Estimated bill

173.82

Estimated bill

Energy charge161.82(93%)
Fixed charge12(7%)

Working: 899 kWh × 0.18 = 161.82, + 12.00 fixed = 173.82
Energy charge: 161.82
Fixed charge: 12.00
Effective price per kWh: 0.1933

Flat rate. Tiered and time-of-use tariffs charge different prices for different kWh, and taxes and fuel adjustments vary; your bill lists them.

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What each Electricity Cost input means

Work out: A monthly bill from the kWh on your meter or statement, or the running cost of one appliance from its wattage.
Electricity used: Electricity used in the billing period, in kilowatt-hours, from your bill or meter. The US average is about 899 kWh a month, according to the EIA.
Appliance power: The appliance's power from its label or manual. Heating appliances use the most: a space heater or kettle is around 1,500–3,000 W, an LED bulb under 15 W.
Hours used a day: How long it actually runs each day. For a fridge or a thermostat-controlled heater, that is less than the hours it is switched on.
Days: How many days to cost: 30 for a month, 365 for a year.
Price per kWh: Your price per kWh, from the bill. With tiered or time-of-use pricing, divide the bill's energy charges by the kWh for an average.
Fixed monthly charge: Any monthly charge that doesn't depend on use: a customer, service or connection charge.

Electricity Cost formula

bill = kWh × price per kWh + fixed charge · appliance kWh = watts × hours ÷ 1,000

\text{cost} = \frac{W \times h}{1000} \times p

Electricity is sold by the kilowatt-hour: a 1,000-watt appliance running for an hour uses 1 kWh. A bill is the kWh used times the price per kWh, plus any fixed monthly charge. For a single appliance, multiply its watts by the hours it runs and divide by 1,000 for kWh, then by the price. The US Energy Information Administration puts the average home at about 899 kWh a month and the average residential price at 18.31 cents a kWh in July 2026 — but it ranges from under 16 cents in Texas to over 33 in California, so the figure on your own bill is the one to use.

Electricity Cost worked example

An average US month of 899 kWh at $0.18 a kWh is $161.82 of energy; with a $12 fixed charge the bill is $173.82. For one appliance: a 1,500 W space heater run 3 hours a day uses 4.5 kWh a day, which over 30 days at $0.18 is $24.30.

More Electricity Cost examples

A 1,500 W space heater for 3 hours a day: 1,500 × 3 ÷ 1,000 = 4.5 kWh a day, 135 kWh over 30 days, and at $0.18 a kWh that is $24.30 for the month.

A 1,000 W window air conditioner running 8 hours a day at the July 2026 US average of 18.31 cents: 8 kWh a day, 240 kWh a month, $43.94. In practice the compressor cycles, so the real figure is usually lower.

A summer month of 1,200 kWh at 16 cents with a $10 service charge: 1,200 × 0.16 = 192.00 of energy, plus 10.00, is 202.00. The effective price comes out at 16.83 cents a kWh.

Where the Electricity Cost calculator can give the wrong answer

Tiered and time-of-use tariffs charge different prices for different kWh; use the effective price from your bill (total ÷ kWh) or work out each tier.
Appliances that cycle — fridges, freezers, heaters with thermostats, air conditioners — draw their label wattage only part of the time.
Taxes, delivery charges and fuel adjustments are on the bill separately in many places; add them to the fixed charge or the price.
Prices change monthly. The EIA averages are a guide; your utility's rate decides.

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Electricity Cost reference table

What appliances cost to run, by wattage, at 18.31 cents a kWh
Power	For example	Cost per hour	Cost a month at 3 hours a day
10 W	An LED bulb of about 10 W	0.18¢	0.16
60 W	A 60 W incandescent bulb	1.10¢	0.99
100 W	A 100 W incandescent bulb	1.83¢	1.65
1,000 W	A microwave (750–1,100 W)	18.31¢	16.48
1,200 W	A coffee maker (900–1,200 W)	21.97¢	19.77
1,500 W	A hair dryer (1,200–1,875 W) or space heater	27.47¢	24.72
3,000 W	A clothes dryer (1,800–5,000 W)	54.93¢	49.44
5,000 W	A clothes dryer at the top of its range	91.55¢	82.40

Source: Arithmetic: watts ÷ 1,000 × hours × price, at the EIA's US residential average of 18.31¢/kWh for July 2026 (Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A); wattage ranges from the US Department of Energy, 'Estimating Appliance and Home Electronic Energy Use'

Electricity Cost FAQ

: The US residential average was 18.31 cents in July 2026, according to the EIA — 15.88 cents in Texas and 33.61 in California. Your bill shows your own price.
: About 899 kWh on average in the US in 2022 (10,791 a year), according to the EIA, with a wide range by state and season.
: Watts × hours ÷ 1,000 = kWh, then × your price. A 1,500 W heater for 3 hours is 4.5 kWh; at 18 cents, 81 cents a day.
: 100 × 10 ÷ 1,000 = 1 kWh, so one kWh's price — about 18 cents at the US average.
: Anything that makes heat or cold: space and water heating, air conditioning, clothes dryers, ovens and kettles. A device's wattage times its hours of use decides its share, so a 10 W bulb left on all day costs far less than a 3,000 W dryer run for an hour.