What appliances cost to run
Every figure below is worked out from a typical wattage and a stated weekly pattern at the national average electricity rate — open any appliance to put your own rate and hours in.
Clothes dryer
41¢ per load
3,000 W · 4 loads a week, $85.83 a year
Washing machine
5¢ per load
500 W · 4 loads a week, $9.54 a year
Space heater
28¢ per hour
1,500 W · 21 hours a week, $300 a year
Portable air conditioner
22¢ per hour
1,200 W · 40 hours a week, $458 a year
Dehumidifier
9¢ per hour
500 W · 42 hours a week, $200 a year
Electric oven
44¢ per hour
2,400 W · 3 hours a week, $68.66 a year
Air fryer
9¢ per use
1,500 W · 4 uses a week, $18.88 a year
The rate and formula behind these numbers
kWh per use = watts × hours ÷ 1,000, and cost = kWh × rate. The yearly figure assumes the same weekly pattern all year (× 52); the monthly figure is the yearly one ÷ 12.
Electricity rate: 18.34¢ per kWh — the US EIA Electric Power Monthly for June 2026, the latest month EIA has published (US average across all states). Source: US EIA Electric Power Monthly. Checked September 2, 2026. It excludes the fixed monthly customer charge, which you pay regardless of use.
How to use a calculator
- Find your rate. Your electricity bill states the price you pay per kWh; plans with a different price at different times of day state each one.
- Open the appliance. Each calculator starts from a typical wattage and a stated weekly pattern.
- Put in your own numbers. Your rate, and how long or how often you use it. The figures per use, per month and per year follow as you type.
What moves the number
How much power it draws
The wattage on the rating plate is a maximum. An appliance that heats or cools in cycles draws it only part of the time, so its real use can sit well below the plate.
How long it runs
Energy is power multiplied by time: the same appliance costs twice as much run twice as long. Hours of use move the yearly figure more than anything else.
What you pay per kWh
Rates differ by supplier, plan and region, and some change through the day. The average rate here is a starting point; your bill’s rate is the one that counts.
What it draws when idle
Some appliances keep drawing a little power on standby. The calculators count the time an appliance runs, not the hours it sits plugged in.