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

How Much Does It Cost to Run a Microwave in California?

The short answer

Running a 1,100W microwave in California costs about $0.37 an hour. At 15 minutes a day, that’s roughly $2.81 a month and $33.74 a year.

The estimate uses California’s average residential electricity price of 33.6¢/kWh from EIA (July 2026) — 84% above the national average.

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

Microwave cost by daily use in California

Cost at 33.6¢/kWh, the California average (EIA, Jul 2026)
Daily usekWh/monthPer dayPer monthPer year
6 minutes/day 3.3 $0.04 $1.12 $13.49
15 minutes/day 8.4 $0.09 $2.81 $33.74
30 minutes/day 16.7 $0.18 $5.62 $67.47
1 hour/day 33.5 $0.37 $11.25 $135
2 hours/day 66.9 $0.74 $22.49 $270
3 hours/day 100.4 $1.11 $33.74 $405

California vs other states

At typical use, a microwave costs $33.74 a year in California — $14.44 less than in Hawaii and $20.97 more than in Louisiana.

California has the 2nd-most-expensive residential electricity of the 50 states and DC. California electricity rates · all states ranked

Electricity price trend in California

33.6¢/kWh in July 2026 — ▲ +2.9% from a year earlier.

How to lower the cost of running a microwave

The power rating on the front of a microwave (e.g. 900W or 1,000W) is its cooking output; the draw from the wall is higher, usually 1,000–1,500W. Because it heats food directly and runs for minutes at a time, a microwave is one of the cheapest ways to cook or reheat. Our default assumes 15 minutes a day — adjust the hours to match how you cook.

  • Reheat in the microwave instead of the oven — it can use up to 80% less energy for small portions.
  • Unplug models with clocks you don't use to avoid a few watts of standby power.
  • Cover food so it heats faster and more evenly.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to run a microwave for 24 hours in California?

Running a 1,100W microwave for 24 hours uses about 26.4 kWh, which costs about $8.87 at California’s average rate of 33.6¢/kWh.

How many kWh does a microwave use per month?

At 15 minutes a day, a typical microwave uses about 8.37 kWh a month. In California that costs $2.81.

Is it expensive to run a microwave in California?

California has the 2nd-most-expensive residential electricity of the 50 states and DC at 33.6¢/kWh — one of the most expensive. Running a microwave here costs about $33.74 a year at typical use, compared with $18.38 at the national average rate.

What is the electricity rate in California right now?

The average residential electricity rate in California was 33.6¢ per kWh in July 2026, according to the latest EIA data — up 2.9% from a year earlier.

Does a microwave use a lot of electricity?

Its wattage is high, but it runs for so little time that a typical microwave adds only a dollar or two to a monthly bill.

Microwave costs in nearby states

Cheapest and priciest states

Comparisons

Sources & method