Running costs · price cap 1 July to 30 September 2026
How much do household appliances cost to run?
Electricity costs 26.11p per kWh under the Ofgem price cap for 1 July to 30 September 2026, and 26.32p from 1 October. Appliances that heat water or air cost the most: an electric shower costs about £2.35 an hour, while a laptop costs about 1.3p.
Prices checked against Ofgem on .
Electricity
26.11p
per kWh, price cap
Standing charge
57.19p
per day
Gas
7.33p
per kWh, price cap
Appliances
25
with their own page
Running costs at a glance
Each appliance page shows the usage these figures assume and a table for your own usage.
| Appliance | Cost | Over a year or winter |
|---|---|---|
| Washing machine | Per wash: 31p | £63.49 per year |
| Dishwasher | Per cycle: 26p | £67.46 per year |
| Tumble dryer | Per load: 88p | £137.89 per year |
| Electric oven | Per use: 40p | £62.50 per year |
| Air fryer | Per meal: 31p | £32.74 per year |
| Kettle | Per litre boiled: 2.6p | £38.69 per year |
| Fridge freezer | Per day: 21p | £78.37 per year |
| TV | Per day: 7.9p | £28.77 per year |
| Electric shower | Per hour: £2.35 | £114.36 per year |
| Immersion heater | Per hour: 78p | £285.90 per year |
| Electric heater | Per hour: 65p | £356.40 per winter |
| Oil-filled radiator | Per hour: 52p | £285.12 per winter |
| Dehumidifier | Per hour: 13p | £285.90 per year |
| Microwave | Per hour: 26p | £15.88 per year |
| Electric hob | Per hour: 52p | £95.30 per year |
| Hairdryer | Per hour: 52p | £31.77 per year |
| Iron | Per hour: 39p | £71.48 per year |
| Toaster | Per hour: 26p | £4.77 per year |
| Vacuum cleaner | Per hour: 23p | £42.89 per year |
| Heated towel rail | Per hour: 12p | £85.77 per year |
| Electric blanket | Per hour: 3.9p | £7.13 per winter |
| Desktop computer | Per hour: 3.7p | £53.37 per year |
| Games console | Per hour: 3.1p | £34.31 per year |
| Laptop | Per hour: 1.3p | £38.12 per year |
| Broadband router | Per hour: 0.26p | £22.87 per year |
Heat is what costs money
Kettles, showers, heaters, ovens and tumble dryers all turn electricity into heat, and they use far more power than screens, chargers and lights. Cutting their use makes the biggest difference to a bill.
The standing charge
On top of what you use, you pay a daily standing charge of 57.19p for electricity under the current cap, which is about £208.74 a year.
Guides and definitions
- Energy price cap explained: rates from 1 October 2026 and your bill (Guide)
- Is Economy 7 worth it? Hours, price cap and the night-use break-even (Guide)
- Standing charge vs unit rate: which energy tariff is cheaper for you? (Guide)
- Economy 7 (Economy 7 is an electricity tariff with seven cheaper off-peak hours, usually overnight, and a dearer daytime rate; Ofgem assumes 42% of use falls off-peak.)
- Typical domestic consumption values (TDCVs) (Typical domestic consumption values are Ofgem's yearly usage figures for a typical home, 2,500 kWh electricity and 9,500 kWh gas from 1 July 2026.)
- Energy price cap (The energy price cap is Ofgem’s limit on unit rates and standing charges for default tariffs; typical bill £1,723 from 1 October 2026.)
- Standing charge (A standing charge is the fixed daily amount on an energy bill, paid whatever you use; the capped average is 54.83p a day for electricity.)
Every appliance
- Washing machine (31p per wash)
- Dishwasher (26p per cycle)
- Tumble dryer (88p per load)
- Electric oven (40p per use)
- Air fryer (31p per meal)
- Kettle (2.6p per litre boiled)
- Fridge freezer (21p per day)
- TV (7.9p per day)
- Electric shower (£2.35 per hour)
- Immersion heater (78p per hour)
- Electric heater (65p per hour)
- Oil-filled radiator (52p per hour)
- Dehumidifier (13p per hour)
- Microwave (26p per hour)
- Electric hob (52p per hour)
- Hairdryer (52p per hour)
- Iron (39p per hour)
- Toaster (26p per hour)
- Vacuum cleaner (23p per hour)
- Heated towel rail (12p per hour)
- Electric blanket (3.9p per hour)
- Desktop computer (3.7p per hour)
- Games console (3.1p per hour)
- Laptop (1.3p per hour)
- Broadband router (0.26p per hour)
Appliance running cost calculator · Use your own wattage and unit rate
Common questions
How do I work out what an appliance costs to run?
Divide its wattage by 1,000 to get kilowatts, multiply by the hours you use it and then by your unit rate. A 2,000 W heater used for 3 hours at 26.11p costs 2 × 3 × 26.11p = £1.57.
What is the electricity price cap now?
26.11p per kWh with a daily standing charge of 57.19p for 1 July to 30 September 2026, averaged across England, Scotland and Wales for Direct Debit customers.
Which appliance costs the most to run?
Across a year, heating appliances usually cost most: electric heaters, immersion heaters and tumble dryers. By the hour, an electric shower is the most expensive thing in most homes.
Sources and assumptions
- Prices use the Ofgem price cap average for Direct Debit customers in England, Scotland and Wales. Northern Ireland is not covered by the cap.
- Ofgem: energy price cap unit rates and standing charges
- Which?: how much your appliances cost to run (26 August 2026)
- Centre for Sustainable Energy: how much electricity am I using? (reviewed July 2026)
These are estimates. Your bill depends on your tariff, your region and how you use each appliance.