Electricity Cost Calculator (per appliance)

Calculate how much an appliance costs to run per day, week, month and year. Quick-select from common appliances.

Last updated: April 2026 · Source: Ofgem — Energy price cap

Daily

£0.49

2.00 kWh

Weekly

£3.43

Monthly

£14.92

Annual

£178.85

Disclaimer

This calculator is provided for informational purposes only and should not be considered as financial or tax advice. All calculations are performed locally in your browser — no personal data is collected or sent to our servers. Rates and thresholds are sourced from HMRC and GOV.UK and are updated for the current tax year. Always verify results with HMRC or consult a qualified professional before making financial decisions.

How It Works

Electricity costs for individual appliances can be calculated using the formula: kWh = (watts x hours used per day) / 1,000. Multiply the kWh by your unit rate to get the daily cost. The average UK electricity unit rate under the Ofgem price cap is approximately 24.5p per kWh, plus a daily standing charge of around 61.64p.

Common household appliances vary dramatically in running costs. A tumble dryer (2,500W) costs about 61p per hour, an electric oven (2,000W) about 49p per hour, a washing machine (500W average) about 12p per cycle, while an LED light bulb (10W) costs just 0.25p per hour. Always check the wattage on the appliance's rating plate.

This calculator lets you enter any appliance by wattage and usage pattern. It shows the daily, weekly, monthly and annual running cost. You can compare multiple appliances to identify the biggest energy consumers in your home and see where switching to more efficient models would save the most money.

Example: Running a tumble dryer and LED lights

  1. Tumble dryer: 2,500W x 1 hour x 3 times/week
  2. Weekly kWh: 7.5 kWh x 24.5p = £1.84/week
  3. Annual tumble dryer cost: £95.55
  4. LED bulbs (10 x 10W): 100W x 6 hours/day = 0.6 kWh/day
  5. Annual LED lighting cost: 0.6 x 365 x 24.5p = £53.66
  6. Comparison: tumble dryer costs 78% more than all LED lights

Source: Ofgem — Energy price cap

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the Electricity Cost Calculator (per appliance) do?
Calculate how much an appliance costs to run per day, week, month and year. Quick-select from common appliances. All calculations are performed in your browser using official UK rates and thresholds.
Does this reflect the current energy price cap?
This calculator uses representative energy prices. The Ofgem energy price cap changes quarterly — check Ofgem's website for the latest cap level applicable to your region and payment method.
Can I save money by switching tariff?
Potentially yes. The energy market offers various fixed and variable tariffs. Use a comparison site authorised by Ofgem (such as Ofgem's own comparison tool) to check if switching could save you money.