Kitchen · South Carolina
How Much Does It Cost to Run a Microwave in South Carolina?
The short answer
Running a 1,100W microwave in South Carolina costs about $0.17 an hour. At 15 minutes a day, that’s roughly $1.29 a month and $15.53 a year.
The estimate uses South Carolina’s average residential electricity price of 15.5¢/kWh from EIA (July 2026) — 16% below the national average.
Source: U.S. EIA, July 2026 data · Updated
Microwave cost by daily use in South Carolina
| Daily use | kWh/month | Per day | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 minutes/day | 3.3 | $0.02 | $0.52 | $6.21 |
| 15 minutes/day | 8.4 | $0.04 | $1.29 | $15.53 |
| 30 minutes/day | 16.7 | $0.09 | $2.59 | $31.06 |
| 1 hour/day | 33.5 | $0.17 | $5.18 | $62.11 |
| 2 hours/day | 66.9 | $0.34 | $10.35 | $124 |
| 3 hours/day | 100.4 | $0.51 | $15.53 | $186 |
South Carolina vs other states
At typical use, a microwave costs $15.53 a year in South Carolina — $32.65 less than in Hawaii and $2.76 more than in Louisiana.
South Carolina has the 20th-cheapest residential electricity of the 50 states and DC. South Carolina electricity rates · all states ranked
Electricity price trend in South Carolina
15.5¢/kWh in July 2026 — ▲ +5.2% 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 South Carolina?
Running a 1,100W microwave for 24 hours uses about 26.4 kWh, which costs about $4.08 at South Carolina’s average rate of 15.5¢/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 South Carolina that costs $1.29.
Is it expensive to run a microwave in South Carolina?
South Carolina has the 20th-cheapest residential electricity of the 50 states and DC at 15.5¢/kWh — cheaper than most. Running a microwave here costs about $15.53 a year at typical use, compared with $18.38 at the national average rate.
What is the electricity rate in South Carolina right now?
The average residential electricity rate in South Carolina was 15.5¢ per kWh in July 2026, according to the latest EIA data — up 5.2% 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
Other appliances in South Carolina
Cheapest and priciest states
Comparisons
Sources & method
- Electricity rates: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly — average residential retail price, July 2026 (latest available). Retrieved .
- CO₂: EIA State Electricity Profiles, 2024 emissions rate of in-state power generation.
- Default usage for microwave: 15 minutes a day. Typical power 1,100W.
- Formulas, duty cycles and limitations: methodology. Data download: open data (CC BY 4.0).