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Electricity Cost Calculator

Calculate the running cost of individual appliances with standby power estimation and efficiency comparisons. Identify energy vampires.

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About

Individual appliances often contribute disproportionately to the total electricity bill. High-wattage devices like heaters or "always-on" electronics like gaming consoles can be silent financial drains. Accurate cost estimation requires more than just knowing the active wattage; it requires understanding the duty cycle and the hidden cost of standby modes.

This calculator determines the specific operational cost of any device. It features a "Vampire Power" detector that adds the standardized standby consumption for modern electronics, which can account for up to 10% of a home's energy use. Furthermore, the efficiency comparison tool calculates potential savings if the device were replaced with a modern, energy-efficient alternative (e.g., LED vs. Incandescent, or Energy Star rated appliances).

appliance cost wattage calculator vampire power energy efficiency electricity rate

Formulas

The cost calculation integrates active running time with passive standby time.

Cday = Wact × Hact + Wsby × 24 − Hact1000 × R

Variables:

  • Wact: Active Wattage
  • Hact: Hours Used per Day
  • Wsby: Standby Wattage (Vampire Power)
  • R: Electricity Rate ($/kWh)

Reference Data

ApplianceAvg. Running Watts (W)Standby/Vampire Watts (W)
LED Light Bulb90
Incandescent Bulb600
Refrigerator (Modern)1500
Gaming Console (Active)14010
Desktop PC + Monitor2005
Space Heater15000
Central AC35000
Microwave10003
Smart TV (55")8015
WiFi Router1010 (24/7)

Frequently Asked Questions

Vampire power (or phantom load) refers to the electricity consumed by devices when they are turned off but still plugged in. Common culprits include TVs, chargers, and microwaves with clocks.
It applies a standard reduction factor based on current technology gaps. For example, it assumes a 75-80% reduction for lighting (LEDs) and 20-30% for major appliances (Energy Star). Real results vary by specific models.
Appliance power is rated in Watts (W), but electricity is billed in Kilowatt-hours (kWh). Dividing by 1000 converts Watts to Kilowatts.
The tool assumes a daily average. If you use a device only on weekends, calculate the weekly hours and divide by 7 to find the "Average Hours per Day" input.