Residential electricity usage is measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh). One kilowatt-hour (1 kWh) is equal to the amount of energy you would use if you kept a single 1,000-watt appliance running for one hour.
So, if you switched on a 100-watt light bulb, it would take 10 hours to rack up 1 kWh of energy. Or, a 2,000-watt appliance would use 1 kWh in just half an hour, while a 50-watt appliance could stay on for 20 hours before it used 1 kWh.
One kilowatt-hour of electricity is enough to:
Below is a chart of common household items and an approximation of kWh electricity usage and cost based on a $0.10 kwh electricity supply rate. It does not include delivery & service charges that your local energy utility will charge.
Appliance/Equipment |
Avg. Usage |
Monthly kWh |
Cost/Month |
Comfort & Health |
|
|
|
Air Conditioner – Window 12,000 BTU (1,400 Watts) |
8 hours/day |
341 |
$34.10 |
Electric Blanket (177 Watts) |
8 hours/night |
43 |
$4.30 |
Dehumidifier (257 Watts) |
12 hours/day |
94 |
$9.40 |
Fan – Window (200 Watts) |
2 hours/day |
12 |
$1.20 |
Fan – Ceiling (125 Watts) |
12 hours/day |
46 |
$4.60 |
Heat Pump (High Efficiency) (1,800 Sq. ft. house) 8.5 HSPF* |
daily |
Average Annual Cost |
$762.30 |
Humidifier (177 Watts) |
8 hours/day |
43 |
$4.30 |
Water Heater (4500 W) |
3 hours/day |
411 |
$41.10 |
Hair Dryer (1,000 W) |
15 min./day |
7.6 |
$0.76 |
*Heating Season Performance Factor (an efficiency rating) |
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**Based on 4,296 Heating Degree Days. Cooling costs would be approximately 40% of total energy costs. |
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Food Prep. & Preservation |
|
|
|
Blender/Food Processor (400 Watts) |
1 hour/week |
2 |
$0.20 |
Coffee Maker (894 Watts) |
one hour/day |
27 |
$2.70 |
Dishwasher (1,200 Watts) (excludes hot water costs) |
one hour/day |
37 |
$3.70 |
Microwave Oven (1,450 W) |
30 min./day |
22 |
$2.20 |
Range (12,200 Watts) |
30 min./day |
186 |
$18.60 |
Refrigerator – 14 Cu. Ft. (440 W.) |
12 hrs/day |
161 |
$16.10 |
Laundry |
|
|
|
Clothes Dryer (4,900 W) |
6 loads/week |
90 |
$9.00 |
Washer (512 Watts)(Excludes water costs) |
6 loads/week |
9 |
$0.90 |
Iron (1,008 Watts) |
2 hours/week |
8 |
$0.80 |
Home Entertainment |
|
|
|
42″ Plasma TV (320 Watts) (instant-on TVs use some electricity continuously) |
35 hours/week |
44.8 |
$4.48 |
Lighting |
|
|
|
40-Watt Bulb (40 W) |
4 hours/day |
5 |
$0.50 |
Equivalent compact fluorescent |
4 hours/day |
1.375 |
$0.14 |
60-Watt Bulb (60 W) |
4 hours/day |
7 |
$0.70 |
Equivalent compact fluorescent |
4 hours/day |
1.625 |
$0.16 |
75-Watt Bulb (75 W) |
4 hours/day |
9 |
$0.90 |
Equivalent compact fluorescent |
4 hours/day |
2.5 |
$0.25 |
100-Watt Bulb (100 W) |
4 hours/day |
12 |
$1.20 |
Equivalent compact fluorescent |
4 hours/day |
3.25 |
$0.33 |
Electricity usage is tracked by your home’s electric meters. These electric meters are able to record the amount of electricity that flows in and out of your home. Your local utility company reads your electricity meter every month (or two) in order to determine your monthly usage. Meter readings are typically displayed on your electricity bill as a longer string of numbers, but your monthly energy usage can be determined by subtracting last month’s reading from this month’s reading. Although most do the subtraction for you, resulting in the total kWh line item.
The average household uses approximately 908 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity every month. Generally speaking, utilities charge their customers based on how much electricity they use. This means that if your usage goes up, so does your electricity bill. The amount you owe is determined by multiplying your utility’s supply & delivery rate per kWh by the total kWh of electricity you used that month. Usage and pricing can vary depending on many different factors, such as the number of residents in a home, the size of a home, and the efficiency of appliances.