Appliance running-cost chart
Every preset from the calculator on one page: typical wattage, a typical schedule, and what that works out to per month at the $0.17/kWh example rate. Sorted by monthly cost, biggest first.
The pattern to notice: the top of the chart is all heat and cold — a central air conditioner at $142.80 a month on a typical schedule, a fridge at $14.69 — while everything electronic huddles at the bottom in single dollars. Wattage alone doesn't decide it; wattage × hours does.
The $0.17/kWh default is a rough example rate — about the US residential average on EIA figures, and it moves over time. Type in the rate from your own electricity bill for numbers that mean anything for your home. Wattages below are typical values or ranges for common models. Your appliance’s nameplate or manual is the authority — check it and edit the number. Schedules are the calculator's starting assumptions; your hours will differ.
| Appliance | Typical watts | Common range (W) | Hours / day | Days / mo | kWh / mo | Cost / mo | Cost / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central air conditioner | 3,500 | 3,000–5,000 | 8 | 30 | 840 | $142.80 | $1,713.60 |
| Space heater | 1,500 | 750–1,500 | 8 | 30 | 360 | $61.20 | $734.40 |
| Electric water heater | 4,000 | 3,000–5,500 | 3 | 30 | 360 | $61.20 | $734.40 |
| Pool pump | 1,500 | 1,000–2,500 | 8 | 30 | 360 | $61.20 | $734.40 |
| Window air conditioner | 1,200 | 900–1,500 | 8 | 30 | 288 | $48.96 | $587.52 |
| Dehumidifier | 300 | 280–400 | 12 | 30 | 108 | $18.36 | $220.32 |
| Refrigerator | 120 | 100–200 | 24 | 30 | 86.4 | $14.69 | $176.26 |
| Chest freezer | 90 | 70–150 | 24 | 30 | 64.8 | $11.02 | $132.19 |
| Gaming PC | 500 | 300–800 | 4 | 30 | 60.0 | $10.20 | $122.40 |
| Desktop computer | 300 | 200–400 | 6 | 30 | 54.0 | $9.18 | $110.16 |
| Electric oven | 2,400 | 2,000–5,000 | 1 | 20 | 48.0 | $8.16 | $97.92 |
| Dishwasher | 1,800 | 1,200–2,400 | 1 | 20 | 36.0 | $6.12 | $73.44 |
| Clothes dryer (electric) | 3,000 | 1,800–5,000 | 1 | 12 | 36.0 | $6.12 | $73.44 |
| Ceiling fan | 75 | 55–100 | 8 | 30 | 18.0 | $3.06 | $36.72 |
| Air purifier | 50 | 30–80 | 12 | 30 | 18.0 | $3.06 | $36.72 |
| TV (55″ LED) | 100 | 60–150 | 5 | 30 | 15.0 | $2.55 | $30.60 |
| Coffee maker | 1,000 | 800–1,200 | 0.5 | 30 | 15.0 | $2.55 | $30.60 |
| Electric kettle | 1,500 | 1,200–1,800 | 0.3 | 30 | 13.5 | $2.30 | $27.54 |
| Microwave | 1,200 | 1,000–1,500 | 0.3 | 30 | 10.8 | $1.84 | $22.03 |
| Laptop | 50 | 30–65 | 6 | 30 | 9.00 | $1.53 | $18.36 |
| Hair dryer | 1,500 | 1,200–1,875 | 0.2 | 30 | 9.00 | $1.53 | $18.36 |
| Washing machine | 500 | 300–1,000 | 1 | 15 | 7.50 | $1.28 | $15.30 |
| Wi-Fi router | 10 | 5–15 | 24 | 30 | 7.20 | $1.22 | $14.69 |
| Clothes iron | 1,200 | 1,000–1,800 | 0.3 | 12 | 4.32 | $0.73 | $8.81 |
| Vacuum cleaner | 1,200 | 1,000–1,600 | 0.3 | 12 | 4.32 | $0.73 | $8.81 |
| LED light bulb | 10 | 7–15 | 5 | 30 | 1.50 | $0.26 | $3.06 |
How to read this chart honestly
Three cautions before quoting any row. First, "typical watts" for cycling appliances — fridge, freezer, air conditioner, water heater — is an average across on-off cycles, while for simple devices like a kettle it is the draw while running; the schedules are set so the two kinds land comparably, but they are different kinds of number. Second, schedules dominate: run the space heater 24 hours a day instead of 8 and it triples past the air conditioner. Third, your rate scales every row linearly — at $0.30/kWh, multiply every cost by about 1.76; at $0.10, by 0.59.
For your own numbers, take any row into the main calculator, or build the whole-home list with exactly the appliances you own and the hours you actually run them.
Questions
- Why isn't my biggest appliance at the top?
- Because the chart uses typical schedules, and yours differ. A pool pump run 16 hours a day, or a heater in a cold month, will outrank the default rows. The ranking is a starting point — the whole-home list with your hours is the real answer.
- Are these US figures?
- The wattages are typical of appliances sold in North America, but the arithmetic is universal. In a 230 V country the same appliance does the same work at similar wattage; only the rate you pay per kWh changes.
- What about appliances not on the chart?
- Anything with a wattage fits the same formula — kWh = watts × hours ÷ 1,000. The formula page walks through it, including how to convert from amps when a nameplate doesn't list watts.