Appliance Running Cost Calculator (USA)
See what a single appliance costs to run per hour, day, month and year — including standby draw. Then compare it against an efficient replacement to find the payback period and lifetime savings.
| Yr | Rate | Keep it | Replace it | Cumulative (keep) | Net position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calculate to see schedule | |||||
How to Use the Appliance Running Cost Calculator
Find what any appliance costs to run — per hour, day, month, and year — and whether an efficient replacement pays for itself, in four steps.
Pick your appliance
Choose from the preset list to fill in typical values, or enter your own. Set the power by watts, by amps and volts, or by kWh per cycle — whatever your label shows.
Set how you use it
Enter hours per day, days per week, and weeks per year, plus a duty cycle for units that cycle on and off, and any standby draw for when it sits idle.
Add your rate & an upgrade
Set your energy rate, delivery adder, and taxes. Then compare against an efficient replacement — by percent saved or a known wattage — with its price, rebates, and lifespan.
Read your result & save it
See running cost across every timeframe, standby cost, annual savings, payback period, CO₂, and a year-by-year schedule. Then download the branded PDF report.
What’s Included
Everything you need to price an appliance’s true running cost — and decide whether to keep it or replace it.
Cost per hour, day & year
See what the appliance costs across every timeframe at once — including a per-cycle figure for washers and dishwashers rated by the load.
20+ appliance presets
Start from typical values for fridges, AC, dryers, EV chargers, pool pumps, and more — then tweak any field to match your exact unit.
Duty cycle & standby draw
Model thermostat-driven appliances that cycle on and off, and count phantom idle load for every plugged-in hour — for a realistic figure, not just peak wattage.
Replacement payback
Compare against an efficient model to see annual savings, the payback period on net cost, and the net saving over the appliance’s full lifespan.
Three ways to enter power
Use watts, amps and volts, or kWh per cycle — whichever your appliance label lists — plus an all-in rate that folds in delivery and taxes.
Year-by-year schedule & PDF
Project cost over the appliance’s life with an annual rate increase, see the break-even year, and download a branded two-page report.
By the Numbers
A quick snapshot of what this calculator covers under the hood.
fridge to EV charger
watts · amps · per cycle
hour to year
per kWh, editable
no sign-up needed
Built for the Question “Is It Worth It?”
Whether you’re chasing a phantom load, deciding on an upgrade, or just curious what that old fridge really costs, the calculator has you covered.
Bill detectives
Wondering what’s driving your bill? Price a suspect appliance — the old garage fridge, the space heater, the pool pump — and see its yearly cost and standby draw in seconds.
Upgrade shoppers
Eyeing an ENERGY STAR replacement? Enter its efficiency, price, and any rebate to see the payback period and lifetime saving before you buy.
Efficiency-minded homeowners
Cutting waste room by room? Compare appliances side by side, target your biggest running cost first, and track the carbon you’d avoid alongside the dollars.
Run Appliances for Less
Seven habits that lower what your appliances cost to run — and help you upgrade at the right time.
- 1Read the EnergyGuide label, not just the wattage. The yellow label lists estimated annual use, which already accounts for real-world cycling — a better starting point than nameplate watts.
- 2Apply a realistic duty cycle. Fridges, freezers, and AC don’t draw full power constantly. A duty cycle of 40–60% for these units turns peak wattage into an honest running cost.
- 3Hunt down phantom load. Enter the standby draw for TVs, consoles, and chargers. A power strip or smart plug on always-idle gear trims a cost that runs every hour of the year.
- 4Retire the second fridge. An old garage or basement fridge is often one of the priciest appliances per year for how little it holds. Price it before you keep it plugged in.
- 5Chase payback, not just the sticker. A pricier efficient model can be the cheaper choice over its life. Let the payback period and net lifetime saving decide, not the shelf price.
- 6Claim every rebate. Utility and federal rebates cut the net upfront cost and shorten payback. Enter them so the comparison reflects what you’ll actually pay.
- 7Factor in rising rates. Electricity has historically climbed a few percent a year, so an efficient unit saves more each year. The lifetime projection builds that increase in.
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to the most common questions about what appliances cost to run and when to replace them.
How do I calculate what an appliance costs to run?
Multiply the appliance’s power in kilowatts by the hours you run it to get kWh, then multiply by your electricity rate. For example, a 3,500 W air conditioner running 6 hours a day is 21 kWh a day, or about $3.57 at $0.17 per kWh. This calculator does the full version for you — it factors in the duty cycle for thermostat-controlled units, standby draw, delivery charges, and taxes, then reports the cost per hour, day, week, month, and year.
Why does the calculator use a duty cycle instead of the full wattage?
Nameplate wattage is the maximum an appliance can draw, not what it pulls on average. Thermostat-controlled devices like refrigerators, freezers, and air conditioners cycle their compressor on and off, so they only draw full power part of the time. The duty cycle is the share of running hours the appliance is actually working — a fridge might sit around 40%. Applying it gives a realistic effective draw rather than an inflated peak figure.
What is standby power, and does it really matter?
Standby, or phantom load, is the power a device pulls while plugged in but idle — TVs, game consoles, microwaves, and chargers all draw a few watts around the clock. Individually it’s small, but counted across every idle hour of the year it adds up. The calculator applies your standby figure to every hour the appliance is plugged in but not actively running, so you can see the true cost of leaving things on.
How does the replacement payback calculation work?
Enter how much less energy a new model uses — either as a percentage or a known wattage — plus its purchase and install price and any rebates. The calculator works out the annual saving, then divides the net upfront cost by that saving to find the payback period: the point where the money you save on power has covered what you paid for the upgrade. It also projects lifetime cost for both options so you can see the net saving over the appliance’s full life.
What are amps, volts, and kWh-per-cycle, and which should I use?
They’re three ways to enter the same thing. Use watts when the label lists a wattage. Use amps and volts when the label lists current and voltage instead — the calculator multiplies them (amps × volts) to get watts. Use kWh per cycle for appliances rated by the load, like washers and dishwashers, where you’d enter the energy per cycle, cycles per week, and cycle length. Pick whichever matches the numbers printed on your appliance or its EnergyGuide label.
Which household appliances cost the most to run?
Anything that makes heat or runs constantly tends to dominate: central air conditioning, electric water heaters, heat pumps, clothes dryers, and pool pumps are usually the biggest line items, while EV chargers can rival them. Small electronics cost far less to run but their standby draw is always on. Use the presets to compare any two appliances quickly, and start efficiency efforts with your largest running cost, not the easiest one to unplug.