U.S. residential electricity EIA data: July 2026 US average 18.3¢/kWh Updated
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Calculator · US average 18.3¢/kWh

Electricity Cost Calculator

The short answer

Enter a device’s wattage and how many hours a day it runs to see its electricity cost per hour, month and year. The rate is prefilled with the US average of 18.3¢/kWh — pick your state for its current average.

Source: U.S. EIA, July 2026 data · Updated

How to calculate electricity cost

Electricity is billed by the kilowatt-hour (kWh): using 1,000 watts for one hour. To find what a device costs to run:

  1. Convert watts to kilowatts: divide the wattage by 1,000.
  2. Multiply by hours of use to get kWh.
  3. Multiply by your rate in dollars per kWh.

Cost = (watts ÷ 1,000) × hours × rate

Example: a 1,500W heater running 3 hours a day uses 4.5 kWh. At 18.3¢/kWh that’s $0.82 a day, about $25.06 a month.

Where to find a device’s wattage

Look for a label on the back or bottom of the device, or on its power adapter. If it lists amps and volts instead, multiply them: a 120V device drawing 5A uses about 600W. Many appliances also cycle on and off — a fridge or oven rarely draws its full rating all the time — so for those, our appliance calculators include realistic duty cycles.

Where to find your electricity rate

Your bill shows your total charges and kWh used — divide one by the other for your all-in rate. If you don’t have a bill handy, use your state’s average from our electricity rates by state table, updated monthly from EIA data.

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