How Much Electricity Does Each Appliance Actually Cost?
Your electric bill is a black box until you break it down by appliance. The formula is straightforward: watts × hours used per day ÷ 1,000 = daily kWh. Multiply that by your rate per kWh and you have your daily cost. Multiply by 30 for monthly.
The biggest offenders are always heating and cooling. A central AC unit pulling 3,500W for 8 hours a day at the national average rate of $0.16/kWh costs $134.40/month. A clothes dryer at 5,000W running one hour daily hits $24/month. Meanwhile, your phone charger costs about $0.14/month — not worth unplugging.
Common Appliance Wattages and Monthly Costs
Here are real-world wattages and what they cost at $0.16/kWh, the 2025 US average residential rate according to the EIA:
| Appliance | Watts | Typical Hours/Day | Monthly Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central AC | 3,500 | 8 | $134.40 |
| Clothes Dryer | 5,000 | 1 | $24.00 |
| Space Heater | 1,500 | 8 | $57.60 |
| Gaming PC | 500 | 4 | $9.60 |
| Refrigerator | 150 | 24 | $17.28 |
| LED Light Bulb | 10 | 6 | $0.29 |
Electricity Rates Vary Wildly by State
Your per-kWh rate changes the math dramatically. According to the EIA, Connecticut residents pay $0.30/kWh on average — nearly triple what Idaho residents pay at $0.11/kWh. That same space heater costing $57.60/month at the national average costs $108/month in Connecticut and only $39.60/month in Idaho.
Hawaii tops the list at $0.43/kWh due to imported fuel. Louisiana, Washington, and Utah sit at the bottom near $0.10–$0.12/kWh thanks to hydropower and natural gas. If you live in a high-rate state, every watt matters more — investing in efficient appliances and LED lighting pays off faster.
5 Ways to Cut Your Electric Bill Without Sacrificing Comfort
- Swap incandescent bulbs for LEDs. A 60W incandescent replaced by a 10W LED saves $2.88/month per bulb running 6 hours a day. Ten bulbs across your home? That's $28.80/month.
- Use a smart power strip. Electronics in standby mode (“phantom load”) can add $100–$200/year to your bill. A smart strip cuts power to idle devices automatically.
- Run appliances during off-peak hours. If your utility offers time-of-use pricing, running your dishwasher and dryer after 9 PM can save 20–40% on those cycles.
- Set your thermostat to 78°F in summer, 68°F in winter. Every degree of AC below 78°F increases cooling costs by 3–4%. A programmable thermostat that adjusts while you sleep saves $50–$100/year.
- Air-dry clothes when possible. Your dryer is one of the most expensive appliances in your home. Air-drying even half your loads saves $12/month.
Splitting Electricity Costs with Roommates
When roommates share an electric bill, an even split is only fair if everyone uses roughly the same amount of power. If one person runs a space heater and a gaming PC all day while the other uses a laptop and LED desk lamp, the difference can be $50+/month.
Use this calculator to figure out each person's appliance costs, then split accordingly. For a full usage-adjusted breakdown across all utilities, try our utility split calculator. And if you're splitting streaming services on top of utilities, the subscription split calculator shows exactly how much each person saves on family plans.