Appliance Running Cost Calculator
Calculate what any appliance costs to run per hour, day, week, month and year from its wattage, hours of use and your electricity tariff rate.
Illustrative default — tariffs vary by retailer, state and plan.
Compare against a different plan or off-peak rate.
Your results
Actual prices, usage, efficiency and savings vary by provider, equipment, location and behaviour.
Calculation breakdown
- Energy use per day
- (2000 W × 2 h + 0 W × 0 h) ÷ 1000 × 1 = 4 kWh
- Annual cost
- 1,460 kWh × 0.30 = $438.00
Assumptions
- Electricity tariffs are illustrative user inputs — actual prices vary by retailer, state, plan and time of use.
- Standby power is included as an additional constant daily draw on top of active use.
- Assumes power rating is constant while running; variable-load appliances (e.g. fridges, air conditioners) will vary in practice.
- Excludes any demand or peak-time pricing structures not captured by a single tariff figure.
How this calculator works
Enter an appliance's power draw in watts, how many hours per day it runs and your electricity rate in cents per kilowatt-hour. The calculator converts watts to kilowatt-hours and shows the cost per hour, day, week, month and year, plus total annual energy use.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I find an appliance's wattage?
Check the compliance plate on the back or base of the appliance, or the specifications in its manual. Heating and cooling appliances draw the most.
Do appliances draw their rated power constantly?
No. Fridges, air conditioners and heaters cycle on and off with a thermostat, so use average running hours rather than hours switched on.
What about standby power?
Standby draw is small per device but adds up across a household. Add a low-wattage entry with 24 hours per day to estimate it.
Actual prices, usage, efficiency and savings vary by provider, equipment, location and behaviour.