Electricity cost calculator

Do you know how the running costs of your electrical devices?

It may sound like an unnecessary faff, but once you see the cost of running that tumble drier or how much energy you're using by boiling the kettle, it might make you think twice about putting a load in or re-boiling the water for that cuppa.

And once you know how much energy you're using, you can work out ways to start saving energy and saving money, remembering that the best way to cut the cost of your bills is to run a gas and electricity rates comparison and switch energy provider.

There's no price cap on business energy. Compare deals to find cheaper prices than your supplier's out of contract rates.

Electric appliance cost calculator

The electricity calculator below helps you work out how much it costs for the electricity needed to run a range of household appliances.

To use our electricity cost calculator for UK household appliances, you can either select one from the dropdown list of common appliances or, if you're trying to find the cost of running an appliance that's not listed, you can enter your own values in the boxes provided.

💡 READY TO SWITCH? Enter your postcode in the box above ☝

Our electricity costs calculator shows results in kWh (kilowatt hours) which is what the unit rates are measured in on your energy bills and then works out how much it costs to run.

Finally, for comparison, you'll be shown how much the same appliance would cost to run if you switched to the cheapest energy deal available.

Select an example item
Or adjust the figures below


1. Watts (electric usage rating of your items, 1 kilowatt is 1000 watts) Watts
2. Watts/1000 = kilowatts or kW kW
3. Hours used in month (use an average) Hours
4. Kilowatts x Hours = Kilowatt Hours or kWh kWh
5. Electricity price (in pence per kWh - enter the cost you pay) pence
6. kWh x pence = Cost (in pence) to run the item for 1 month pence
7. Divide by 100 to get to cost in £'s to run for 1 month £
8. Number of the same items in the house Items
Cost to run all such items in house for 1 month £
For comparison purposes, this would be the cost of running if you were on the cheapest electricity tariff in the market... £

How are energy bills calculated?

Although there are a number of costs that go into making up your energy bill, there are two in particualr that you need to focus on when looking for a cheaper gas and electricity tariff:

  • The unit rate - measured in kilowatt hours (kWh), this is the amount you're charged for the gas and electricity you use.
  • The standing charge - a flat fee that is charged daily regardless of whether or not you're actually using any gas or electricity. This pays for the maintenance of supply lines and getting the energy to your property.

💡 READY TO SWITCH? Enter your postcode in the box on the right 👉

When comparing energy deals, these two costs are the ones that have the biggest impact on your bills. Make sure you check both, as while a considerably lower unit rate can draw you in, this might be offset by a higher standing charge, and could actually end up costing you more.

How to understand your energy bill

If you’re serious about cutting the cost of your energy bills, it makes things a lot easier if you can find your way around one. This video explains how to understand your energy bill.

What makes the price of energy go up and down?

You might think the only things that affects the price of energy is the amount suppliers feel like charging at any one time.

Although there is a markup on energy bills to ensure suppliers make a profit, prices are also affected by a number of things that are out of their control, including:

  • Supply and demand
  • Availability of energy
  • Wholesale costs
  • Transport costs
  • Infrastructure maintenance

If civil unrest, war or natural disasters hit any countries that produce gas or oil, this usually leads to a drop in production or accessibiltiy to the fuel, which then affects the gas and electricity costs in the UK.

The government's energy price cap has also had a marked effect on UK energy costs, for more information, check out our guide to the energy price cap.

💡 READY TO SWITCH? Enter your postcode in the box on the right 👉

How to cut your electricity costs

There are a number of ways you can cut your household electricity costs, such as using our electricity usage calculator to see what appliances eat the most energy and cut back on using them.

An energy usage calculator can also help you keep tabs on how much electricity you're using each month, so you can compare figures each month and see how much you're cutting down usage and cutting costs.

You can also take some steps to be more energy efficient around the home, including:

  • Switcing off light in empty rooms
  • Never leaving appliances on stanby
  • Unplug charger cables when not in use
  • Switch to energy efficient light bulbs

And with those more energy efficient habits nailed, you can switch electricity supplier to save even more money. To run an energy price comparison, just pop your postcode into the box below.

💡 READY TO SWITCH? Enter your postcode in the box on the right 👉