If you’re curious about your monthly electricity usage and want to do some exploring, you’re in luck. There are a few ways to research this topic. One simple way is to use an online electric cost calculator.
What is an electric cost calculator?
An electric cost calculator (also sometimes called electricity bill calculator, energy cost calculator, watt cost calculator, etc.) is an online tool. It helps you figure out the cost of using an appliance or electronic device. Just input the requested data, and it generates the cost. This can be a helpful tool to identify inefficient appliances. Or you can use it to see which appliances or electronics use the most energy in your home.
What are the best electric cost calculators?
You have many choices when it comes to using an electric cost calculator. But, each one has most of the same fields and they do the same thing. So, any one you choose should provide you with the information you’re looking for.
Sample online electricity calculators
Here are a few options you can try:
- Electricity Cost Calculator from Good Calculators
- Energy Cost Calculator from Calculatorolgy
- Electricity Calculator from Calculator.net
- Energy and Power Consumption Calculator – kWh Calculator from Electrical Technology
What information do I need to calculate my energy usage?
Instructions should appear on the screen for the electric cost calculator you want to use.
To calculate electricity cost for specific appliances or devices, you will need the following information:
- Your electricity price per kilowatt hour (kWh) (You can find this on a recent electric bill or by logging into your electricity account.)
- The appliance(s) you want to examine
- The wattage (W) for each appliance (You can usually find this on a label directly on the appliance. You can also check the appliance’s user manual or look online for the model you have
- The number of hours you use the appliance(s) each day
How is the cost of using an appliance calculated?
The formula to calculate the cost of using a single appliance is:
(Watts/1,000) x Hours Used Per Day x Price per kWh = Cost to Operate Appliance Per Day
To find the cost to operate an appliance per month, simply multiply your total from above by the number of days in the month. To find the annual cost to operate, multiply your total from above by 365.
How do I figure out an appliance’s usage without using an electric cost calculator?
Maybe you want to try a different method of calculating an appliance’s usage cost. Or perhaps you don’t know the wattage of your appliance(s). In that case, you could use a Watt-meter instead. You plug an appliance into this small device, then plug the device into the wall. It then measures the appliance’s wattage and how much it uses while it’s plugged in.
You can even enter your electricity price per kWh into the device. Then, it will also calculate your cost to operate for as long as it’s plugged in.
How do I calculate my entire energy bill?
If you want to estimate your entire energy bill, you could perform the above exercise for all of the large and small appliances and electronics in your home. However, using an electric cost calculator in this way would be very time consuming.
Instead, you can see monthly bill estimates when you shop for electricity plans on Everything Energy. Simply enter your ZIP code and your average monthly kWh usage—500, 1000 or 2000. The rest is calculated for you.
What other types of electricity usage calculators exist?
If you want to dive a bit deeper into your electricity usage and efficiency, look no further. These free calculators from the Office Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy give you a lot of great info:
- Electric & Gas Water Heater Cost Calculator
- Compact Fluorescent Lamp (CFL) Cost Calculator
- Faucet & Showerhead Cost Calculator
- Carbon Footprint Calculator
Get more accurate monthly bill estimates with personalized pricing.
To get even more accurate bill estimates, you can try Everything Energy’s Personalized Pricing Tool. It’s like the Apple iPhone of electric cost calculators! Using your Smart Meter Texas historical usage data (with your authorization), Everything Energy provides personalized estimates for each electricity plan listed. That way, you can see which plan would be the most affordable or best option for your specific usage habits, needs and lifestyle. Best of all, it’s so easy to use—start shopping today!