Appliance Running Cost Calculator

Who this is for

Find out what each appliance costs to run. Enter the power from its rating label, how long it runs and your electricity unit rate, and the sheet works out the kWh per day and the cost per hour, per week and per year.

Householders deciding whether to run the tumble dryer, heater or second freezer, and anyone trying to find where their electricity goes.

What this helps you track

• Each appliance by room with its rated power in watts
• Its kWh per day at the hours you actually use it
• What it costs per hour, per week and per year at your unit rate
• The appliance costing the most and the total across the house

How to use it

1. Enter your electricity unit rate per kWh from your bill and the currency you are working in.
2. Go room by room and write each appliance, reading the power in watts from its rating plate or manual.
3. Estimate the hours it runs on a day it is used and how many days a week that happens.
4. kWh per day and the hourly, weekly and yearly costs are worked out in the browser and the workbook.
5. Look at the dearest lines first, and re-run the sheet with fewer hours to see what a change would save.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser
• Excel / Google Sheets workbook

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The workbook uses plain formulas only — SUM, IF, COUNTIF and the like — so it opens in Excel, LibreOffice and Google Sheets without anything breaking, and every calculated cell is grey so you can see which figures it worked out.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

Where do I find the wattage?

On the rating plate or sticker, usually on the back or underside, or in the manual. Look for a figure in W or kW; 2 kW is 2000 W. A plug-in energy monitor gives the real draw if you have one.

Why do fridges and washing machines come out too high?

The rated power is the most the appliance draws. Fridges cycle on and off, and washing machines only heat for part of a cycle, so enter the hours it actually draws power or use a plug-in monitor's reading.

How is the year worked out?

The weekly cost multiplied by 52. For an appliance used only in winter or summer, reduce the days per week to an average across the year, or note the season.

Where does the unit rate come from?

From your own bill, in whole currency units, such as 0.2451 rather than 24.51p. If you have a day and night rate, use the rate for when the appliance usually runs.