46 appliance guides, each with engine-generated cost scenarios you can adjust — watts, runtime, duty cycle, quantity, and ZIP code — in the real calculator.
The ranking prices each appliance's reference scenario at the published Texas state-average residential rate. It is a consistent comparison, not a household tariff — usage patterns differ by design (a dryer runs per load; a refrigerator runs all month).
| Rank | Appliance | Reference scenario | Energy/month | Estimated/month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Electric Baseboard Heater Cost to Run | Three units averaging 10 hours a day in winter | 630.00 kWh | $101.30 |
| 2 | Central Air Conditioner Cost to Run per Month | 8 hours a day with moderate cycling | 504.00 kWh | $81.04 |
| 3 | EV Home Charging Cost per Month (Level 2) | About 2.5 charging hours a day (~50 miles) | 468.00 kWh | $75.25 |
| 4 | Heat Pump Cooling Cost per Month, Estimated | 8 hours a day of regular cooling | 462.00 kWh | $74.29 |
| 5 | Electric Water Heater Cost per Month | Elements active about 3 hours a day | 405.00 kWh | $65.12 |
| 6 | Pool Pump Electricity Cost per Month | 8 hours a day at full draw | 264.00 kWh | $42.45 |
| 7 | Hot Tub Electricity Cost per Month | Heater averaging 3 hours a day | 185.62 kWh | $29.85 |
| 8 | Window AC Unit Cost to Run per Day and Month | 8 hours a day in a medium room | 158.40 kWh | $25.47 |
| 9 | Portable Air Conditioner Cost to Run Monthly | 8 hours a night through a hot month | 156.00 kWh | $25.08 |
| 10 | How Much Does It Cost to Run a Space Heater? | 6 hours a day on 20 days in a month | 144.00 kWh | $23.16 |
| 11 | Grow Light Electricity Cost per Month | 300-watt LED, 14 hours a day | 126.00 kWh | $20.26 |
| 12 | Electric Fireplace Cost to Run per Month | 4 hours of heating on winter evenings | 117.60 kWh | $18.91 |
| 13 | Dehumidifier Cost to Run per Day and Month | 10 hours a day through a muggy month | 90.00 kWh | $14.47 |
| 14 | Home Sauna Electricity Cost per Session | One-hour sessions, fifteen times a month | 81.00 kWh | $13.02 |
| 15 | Swamp Cooler Electricity Cost per Month | 8 hours a day for the main living area | 54.00 kWh | $8.68 |
| 16 | Aquarium Electricity Cost per Month | Combined 120 watts with heater cycling | 51.84 kWh | $8.34 |
| 17 | Chest Freezer Electricity Cost per Month | 200 watts cycling about 35% of the time | 50.40 kWh | $8.10 |
| 18 | Desktop Computer Cost to Run per Month | 4 hours of gaming plus 4 hours of light use daily | 50.40 kWh | $8.10 |
| 19 | Refrigerator Electricity Cost per Month and Year | 150 watts with a 35% compressor duty cycle | 37.80 kWh | $6.08 |
| 20 | Electric Oven Cost per Hour of Baking | One hour of oven use every day | 36.00 kWh | $5.79 |
| 21 | Box Fan Electricity Cost: Day, Night, Month | 14 hours a day on high | 31.50 kWh | $5.07 |
| 22 | Electric Stove Top Cost per Hour of Cooking | One hour a day across two burners | 30.00 kWh | $4.82 |
| 23 | Well Pump Electricity Cost per Month | Two hours of pumping including light irrigation | 30.00 kWh | $4.82 |
| 24 | Air Purifier Cost to Run 24/7, Estimated | 24 hours holding a steady medium speed | 28.80 kWh | $4.63 |
| 25 | Electric Dryer Cost per Load and per Month | 45-minute cycles, twelve times per month | 22.95 kWh | $3.69 |
| 26 | Game Console Electricity Cost per Month | 4 hours a day on demanding titles | 22.80 kWh | $3.67 |
| 27 | Mini Fridge Electricity Cost per Month | 90 watts cycling about 35% of the time | 22.68 kWh | $3.65 |
| 28 | Ceiling Fan Electricity Cost per Month | 12 hours a day on medium-high speed | 21.60 kWh | $3.47 |
| 29 | Pressure Cooker Electricity Cost per Meal | One-hour cycles every day | 18.00 kWh | $2.89 |
| 30 | TV Electricity Cost per Day, Month, Year | 5 hours a day of mixed viewing | 16.50 kWh | $2.65 |
| 31 | Air Fryer Electricity Cost per Use and Month | 30 minutes every day | 15.75 kWh | $2.53 |
| 32 | 3D Printer Electricity Cost per Print | 6 hours of printing most days | 15.75 kWh | $2.53 |
| 33 | Humidifier Electricity Cost per Day and Month | 14 hours a day in dry winter air | 15.12 kWh | $2.43 |
| 34 | Coffee Maker Cost per Pot and per Month | Brew, then 2 hours on the warming plate daily | 14.85 kWh | $2.39 |
| 35 | Electric Kettle Cost per Boil and Month | Five boils daily, about 20 minutes total | 14.85 kWh | $2.39 |
| 36 | Electric Blanket Cost to Run per Night | 8 hours with the thermostat cycling on a low setting | 14.40 kWh | $2.32 |
| 37 | Hair Dryer Electricity Cost per Use | 15 minutes daily on high | 13.50 kWh | $2.17 |
| 38 | Wi-Fi Router Electricity Cost per Year | 18 combined watts around the clock | 12.96 kWh | $2.08 |
| 39 | Toaster Oven Cost per Use and per Month | 25 minutes a day across meals | 12.10 kWh | $1.95 |
| 40 | Microwave Electricity Cost per Use and Month | 15 minutes of heating a day | 10.50 kWh | $1.69 |
| 41 | Sump Pump Electricity Cost per Month | About an hour of cycling a day | 9.60 kWh | $1.54 |
| 42 | Slow Cooker Cost for 8 Hours on Low | 4 hours on high, ten times a month | 9.52 kWh | $1.53 |
| 43 | Laptop Charging Cost per Day and Month | 8 hours of mixed work and streaming | 8.64 kWh | $1.39 |
| 44 | Dishwasher Electricity Cost per Cycle and Month | One-hour cycles, fifteen times per month | 8.10 kWh | $1.30 |
| 45 | Treadmill Electricity Cost per Workout | One-hour runs, twenty days a month | 6.80 kWh | $1.09 |
| 46 | Washing Machine Electricity Cost per Load | One-hour cycles, twenty per month | 6.00 kWh | $0.96 |
Data vintage 2026-04-ytd · Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.B.
Air purifiers are designed for continuous operation, and most draw modest fan-level power. Auto mode keeps the average well below the maximum-speed rating that appears on the box.
View scenarios and calculatorBaseboard heaters are resistance heaters sized per room, typically drawing 500 to 2,000 watts each. Whole-home cost climbs quickly because several zones often run at once in cold weather.
View scenarios and calculatorA standard 20-inch box fan draws well under one hundred watts on high, making it one of the cheapest ways to move air. Even continuous use costs a small fraction of any compressor-based cooling.
View scenarios and calculatorCeiling fans are among the cheapest comfort appliances in a home. A typical fan on medium speed draws less than a laptop charger, so even long daily runtimes cost little.
View scenarios and calculatorCentral AC is usually the largest single electricity load in a cooling-season bill. Cost depends on system wattage, how many hours the compressor actually runs, and your electricity rate.
View scenarios and calculatorA dehumidifier runs a compressor like a small air conditioner, and damp basements can keep it working many hours a day. Cost hinges on room humidity, target setting, and unit capacity.
View scenarios and calculatorElectric blankets warm people directly instead of heating a whole room, which keeps their draw low. A typical queen blanket uses less power in a full night than a space heater uses in fifteen minutes.
View scenarios and calculatorAn electric fireplace is two appliances in one: LED flame effects that draw very little, and a space-heater element that dominates cost whenever heating mode is on.
View scenarios and calculatorAn evaporative cooler only powers a fan and a small water pump, so its electrical draw is a fraction of a refrigerated air conditioner's. The trade-off is that it works well only in dry climates.
View scenarios and calculatorIn cooling mode a heat pump works like a central air conditioner: compressor wattage and runtime drive the bill. This page models cooling only, not winter heating performance.
View scenarios and calculatorHumidifier cost splits sharply by type: ultrasonic and evaporative cool-mist units sip electricity, while warm-mist models boil water with a heating element that multiplies the draw.
View scenarios and calculatorPortable AC units trade efficiency for mobility. Because most single-hose designs pull conditioned air out of the room, they often run longer than a comparable window unit to hold the same temperature.
View scenarios and calculatorA space heater's cost depends mainly on rated watts, how many hours it runs, and how often its thermostat cycles the heating element. Use the preset calculator below with your ZIP code for a state-average estimate.
View scenarios and calculatorA window air conditioner cools one room, so its cost depends on the unit's wattage, the hours you keep it on, and how often its compressor cycles against the heat coming into that room.
View scenarios and calculatorAn air fryer is a compact convection oven: a 1,500-watt element plus a fan in a small basket. Short cook times and no preheat keep its per-meal cost low.
View scenarios and calculatorBrewing itself is quick and cheap; the warming plate that holds the carafe hot for hours is where a drip machine quietly spends most of its electricity.
View scenarios and calculatorDishwasher electricity cost varies with cycle length, water-heating and drying behavior, and how often the machine runs. These scenarios isolate appliance electricity and do not include water or household water-heater fuel.
View scenarios and calculatorBurner wattage spans a wide range — small elements near 1,200 watts, large ones up to 3,000 — and dishes rarely hold a burner at maximum, so effective settings drive stovetop cost.
View scenarios and calculatorA kettle applies its full element directly to the water and switches off at the boil, making it the most efficient common way to heat water in small amounts.
View scenarios and calculatorAn electric oven's bake element draws two to four kilowatts, but a thermostat keeps it energized only part of each hour once the cavity is hot. Preheating and door openings shift the balance.
View scenarios and calculatorMicrowaves draw serious power but only for minutes at a time, so monthly cost stays low for most households. Input watts on the nameplate exceed the advertised cooking watts.
View scenarios and calculatorAn electric multi-cooker heats hard while building pressure, then holds it with brief pulses of power. That front-loaded pattern makes most pressure-cooked meals cheap in energy terms.
View scenarios and calculatorA slow cooker trades power for time: an element drawing about as much as two light bulbs runs all day. Even an eight-hour braise totals modest energy compared with oven alternatives.
View scenarios and calculatorA toaster oven heats a small cavity with roughly half the draw of a full-size oven and no long preheat, which makes it the cheaper tool for toast, snacks, and small portions.
View scenarios and calculatorA chest freezer runs continuously but cycles its compressor, and the lid design traps cold air better than an upright door. Placement and loading meaningfully change its duty cycle.
View scenarios and calculatorA mini fridge draws little power per hour, but it runs every hour of the year. Per liter of cooled space it is usually less efficient than a full-size refrigerator.
View scenarios and calculatorA refrigerator is plugged in continuously, but its compressor cycles. Wattage and duty cycle therefore matter more than simply entering 24 full-power hours every day.
View scenarios and calculatorThe washer's own motor and electronics use modest electricity; the expensive part of laundry is heating water, which belongs to your water heater when it is a separate appliance.
View scenarios and calculatorElectric dryer cost is driven by heater wattage, cycle length, and the number of loads. The scenarios below use the same calculation engine as the interactive appliance calculator.
View scenarios and calculatorA tank water heater's four-to-five-kilowatt elements run a few hours a day in total, replacing heat drawn off by showers and appliances plus standby losses through the tank walls.
View scenarios and calculatorA hair dryer rivals a space heater in wattage but runs for minutes, not hours. Even daily styling adds only a small amount to a monthly bill.
View scenarios and calculatorA desktop FDM printer's heated bed dominates its draw, with the hotend and motors adding a steady remainder. Long prints make hours, not watts, the number that matters.
View scenarios and calculatorDesktop power spans an order of magnitude: an office mini-PC sips power while a gaming rig under load rivals a small space heater. Average watts across your real day matter more than the power supply's rating.
View scenarios and calculatorCurrent consoles draw meaningful power during demanding games, much less while streaming video, and a trickle in rest mode — so your mix of gaming and standby habits sets the bill.
View scenarios and calculatorLaptops are built to stretch battery life, which makes them the cheapest serious computers to power. Even long daily use costs less than most people guess.
View scenarios and calculatorModern LED TVs draw far less than the plasma-era sets they replaced, but screens have grown and viewing hours with them. Size, technology, and brightness settings set the wattage.
View scenarios and calculatorA router draws about as much as a night-light but never turns off. Its cost story is continuous hours, not power — and the answer stays small either way.
View scenarios and calculatorAn aquarium is a small ecosystem of always-on devices: heater, filter, lights, and often air pumps. The heater dominates in tropical tanks, scaling with tank size and room temperature.
View scenarios and calculatorGrow lights run long, fixed photoperiods — commonly twelve to eighteen hours daily — so even efficient LED fixtures accumulate significant hours. Wattage times photoperiod is the whole story.
View scenarios and calculatorA hot tub pays two bills: reheating water after use and constantly replacing heat that leaks through the shell and cover. Climate and cover quality change the total more than soak time does.
View scenarios and calculatorA pool pump is one of the few appliances that runs at full power for scheduled hours every day, which is why it often ranks among a home's top three electricity loads in swim season.
View scenarios and calculatorA traditional electric sauna heater draws several kilowatts, but sessions are short and self-contained. Cost per session — warm-up plus soak — is the useful number, and it is smaller than the wattage suggests.
View scenarios and calculatorA treadmill's draw rises with belt speed, incline, and runner weight, but workouts are short. A month of consistent training costs less than most gym snacks.
View scenarios and calculatorHome Level 2 charging turns your driving into predictable kilowatt-hours: charger power times charging hours tracks the miles you replace. For most commuters it is far cheaper than public fast charging.
View scenarios and calculatorA sump pump's cost is weather: it may sit idle for weeks, then cycle constantly through a wet spell. Averaged over a season, the electricity is small — the protection is the point.
View scenarios and calculatorA well pump bills you per gallon of household water: every shower, laundry load, and sprinkler zone triggers motor runtime. Depth of the well and pressure-tank health set the efficiency.
View scenarios and calculatorEvery scenario runs through the versioned HomeCost Radar appliance-energy engine. The engine converts watts and effective runtime to kilowatt-hours, applies the active state-average residential electricity publication, and returns a range with a confidence level.
Read the appliance methodology, review the data sources, or see how rates differ in every U.S. state. Actual utility tariffs, taxes, fixed fees, weather, and behavior can change real costs.