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

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

The short answer

Running a 1,100W microwave in Illinois costs about $0.21 an hour. At 15 minutes a day, that’s roughly $1.61 a month and $19.29 a year.

That’s based on Illinois’s average residential rate of 19.2¢/kWh (EIA, July 2026), 5% above the US average.

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

Microwave cost by daily use in Illinois

Cost at 19.2¢/kWh, the Illinois average (EIA, Jul 2026)
Daily usekWh/monthPer dayPer monthPer year
6 minutes/day 3.3 $0.02 $0.64 $7.72
15 minutes/day 8.4 $0.05 $1.61 $19.29
30 minutes/day 16.7 $0.11 $3.22 $38.58
1 hour/day 33.5 $0.21 $6.43 $77.17
2 hours/day 66.9 $0.42 $12.86 $154
3 hours/day 100.4 $0.63 $19.29 $232

Illinois vs other states

At typical use, a microwave costs $19.29 a year in Illinois — $28.89 less than in Hawaii and $6.52 more than in Louisiana.

Illinois has the 17th-most-expensive residential electricity of the 50 states and DC. electricity prices in Illinois · all states ranked

Electricity price trend in Illinois

19.2¢/kWh in July 2026 — ▲ +11.6% 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 Illinois?

Running a 1,100W microwave for 24 hours uses about 26.4 kWh, which costs about $5.07 at Illinois’s average rate of 19.2¢/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 Illinois that costs $1.61.

Is it expensive to run a microwave in Illinois?

Illinois has the 17th-most-expensive residential electricity of the 50 states and DC at 19.2¢/kWh — pricier than most. Running a microwave here costs about $19.29 a year at typical use, compared with $18.38 at the national average rate.

What is the electricity rate in Illinois right now?

The average residential electricity rate in Illinois was 19.2¢ per kWh in July 2026, according to the latest EIA data — up 11.6% 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