Enter your appliances and instantly see a full breakdown of your monthly electricity cost — by appliance, by category, and by phantom load. Then discover how much solar could eliminate from your annual bill.
An electricity bill calculator estimates your monthly and annual electricity costs based on the appliances you use and how long you use them each day. Unlike looking at a single utility bill number, a per-appliance calculator shows you where your electricity is going — which devices are your biggest energy consumers, how much phantom loads are silently costing you, and what a simple change like switching to LED lighting could save.
The SurgePV Electricity Bill Calculator includes 50+ preset appliances with real-world wattage data from DOE references, state-specific electricity rates for all 50 US states, an energy category breakdown with a visual chart, and an automatic solar system size recommendation so you can see exactly how much solar power would eliminate from your annual electricity cost.
Whether you’re a homeowner frustrated with a high electric bill, a renter estimating future costs, a solar prospect calculating payback, or a solar sales professional building a client’s energy profile — this tool gives you the numbers you need in seconds.
See the exact monthly cost of every device in your home — from your refrigerator to your EV charger. Add, edit, or remove appliances to model different usage scenarios instantly.
Identifies the “energy vampires” in your home — devices drawing power 24/7 while appearing to be off. The US Department of Energy estimates standby power costs households $100–$200 per year.
After calculating your usage, the tool automatically recommends a solar system size and shows how much of your annual electricity cost solar could eliminate — framing the solar ROI in real dollar terms.
Got a bigger-than-normal bill? Add your appliances to find out which device is responsible. The top energy hogs section pinpoints exactly where to focus — whether it’s the central AC, electric dryer, or a recently added EV charger.
Moving into a new home? Select your new state’s rate, add the appliances you expect to use, and compare scenarios (electric vs. gas range, window AC vs. central AC) to make informed appliance decisions before you move.
Considering solar? Use Quick Estimate mode with your actual monthly kWh from your bill. The solar offset section instantly shows your recommended system size, annual savings, and 25-year cost-vs-savings comparison.
Follow these steps to get an accurate estimate of your monthly electricity cost. The calculator pre-loads a typical home profile so you see results immediately — just adjust for your actual appliances and usage habits.
Select your state from the dropdown to auto-fill your 2024 average electricity rate, or enter your exact rate from your utility bill (look for “¢/kWh” or “$/kWh”). The US national average is $0.16/kWh. Optionally enter your fixed monthly base charge to improve accuracy.
Use Appliance-by-Appliance mode to build a detailed list of every device — best for understanding what’s driving your bill. Use Quick Estimate mode to enter your monthly kWh total directly for an instant solar recommendation.
Select appliances from the library of 50+ presets organized by category (HVAC, Kitchen, Laundry, Electronics, Lighting, Other). Each preset auto-fills realistic wattage and usage hours. You can edit wattage, quantity, and hours per day inline, or click “Add Custom Appliance” for unlisted devices.
The results panel shows your estimated monthly bill, annual cost, and total kWh usage — updating in real time. The donut chart shows your energy breakdown by category. The top 3 energy hog cards highlight which appliances cost you the most each month.
The Phantom Load section automatically appears when you have appliances with standby draw, showing your annual cost from devices in standby. If you’ve added incandescent or CFL bulbs, the LED Upgrade Opportunity card shows exactly how much you’d save per year by switching.
At the bottom of the results panel, the Solar Offset Analysis shows the recommended solar system size for your usage, the estimated annual savings if you went solar, and your 25-year electricity spend vs. solar investment cost.
Every number in this electricity cost calculator has a specific purpose. Here’s how to interpret each result and what actions it suggests.
Sum of all appliance costs plus your fixed base charge. Compare against your last 3 actual bills to validate accuracy — within 10–15% is typical for flat-rate pricing.
Your monthly bill × 12. Most homeowners are surprised to see $1,500–$3,000/year leaving their household for electricity. The solar recommendation is built directly from this number.
How many kilowatt-hours your home consumes per month. US average is 877 kWh/month. High usage (1,200+ kWh) indicates major consumers like EV charging, pool pumps, or an older AC unit.
Shows what percentage of electricity use falls into each category: HVAC, Water Heating, Kitchen, Laundry, Electronics, and Lighting. HVAC typically dominates at 40–50%.
The three appliances with the highest monthly electricity cost. These are your efficiency leverage points. Replacing an old central AC or insulating your hot water heater are highest-impact actions.
Annual electricity cost from devices in standby. Smart power strips ($20–$40) that cut power when the main device turns off are the cheapest way to eliminate this cost category entirely.
Only appears if you have incandescent or CFL bulbs on your list. Shows the dollar savings from replacing those bulbs with LED equivalents. With bulbs costing $2–$5 each, payback is typically 1–6 months.
Calculated using your annual kWh, 4.5 peak sun hours (US average), and 78% system efficiency. A ballpark estimate — a certified installer will refine this using your roof’s actual orientation, shading, and net metering structure.
Your annual electricity cost × 80%. Solar rarely offsets 100% of a bill due to fixed utility charges, seasonal production variance, and net metering caps. 80% is the realistic, conservative estimate for a properly sized grid-tied system.
Our electricity bill calculator uses physics-based formulas validated against DOE appliance data and EIA electricity rate statistics. Here is exactly how every number is calculated.
Appliance wattages: US Department of Energy Appliance Standards, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Home Energy Saver database. State electricity rates: US Energy Information Administration (EIA) Electric Power Monthly, 2024 annual averages. Phantom load data: LBNL “Standby Power Summary Table.” US average household usage: EIA Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS). Solar sizing: NREL PVWatts methodology, adapted for consumer use.
Worked example: A household: central AC (3,500W × 8hr/day = 28 kWh/day), water heater (4,500W × 2hr = 9 kWh/day), refrigerator (150W × 24hr = 3.6 kWh/day), lighting (500W × 5hr = 2.5 kWh/day). Daily total: 43.1 kWh. Monthly: 1,293 kWh × $0.16/kWh = $207/month. Annual: $2,484. A 9 kW solar system offsets the entire bill and pays back in 8–10 years.
Calculations sourced from SurgePV’s Electricity Bill Calculator — surgepv.com/tools/electricity-bill-calculator/
Typical monthly electricity costs for common household appliances at the US average rate of $0.16/kWh. Use as a quick sanity check when reviewing your electricity bill estimate.
| Appliance | Watts | Typical Hrs/Day | Monthly kWh | Monthly Cost | Annual Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central AC (3 ton) | 3,500 | 4 | 426 | $68 | $817 |
| Electric Furnace | 10,000 | 3 | 913 | $146 | $1,752 |
| Heat Pump (3 ton) | 3,500 | 4 | 426 | $68 | $817 |
| Space Heater | 1,500 | 4 | 183 | $29 | $350 |
| Electric Water Heater (50 gal) | 4,500 | 3 | 411 | $66 | $787 |
| Refrigerator (20 cu ft) | 150 | 24 | 110 | $18 | $210 |
| Electric Range / Oven | 3,500 | 1 | 107 | $17 | $205 |
| Dishwasher | 1,800 | 1 | 55 | $9 | $105 |
| Electric Clothes Dryer | 5,000 | 1 | 152 | $24 | $292 |
| Desktop Computer + Monitor | 300 | 8 | 73 | $12 | $140 |
| Gaming Console (PS5/Xbox) | 200 | 3 | 18 | $3 | $35 |
| LED TV (55") | 120 | 5 | 18 | $3 | $35 |
| EV Charger (Level 2, 240V) | 7,200 | 4 | 876 | $140 | $1,682 |
| Pool Pump (1 HP) | 1,500 | 6 | 274 | $44 | $526 |
| LED Light Bulb (9W) | 9 | 6 | 1.6 | $0.26 | $3.20 |
| Incandescent Bulb (60W) | 60 | 6 | 11 | $1.75 | $21 |
| Wi-Fi Router | 15 | 24 | 11 | $1.75 | $21 |
| Cable / Satellite Box | 25 | 5 | 23 | $3.65 | $44 |
Based on $0.16/kWh US average rate and 30.44 days/month. Costs are rounded. Actual usage varies by model, age, and usage habits.
Solar installers and energy consultants use these techniques to get the most precise electricity cost estimates — not just ballpark numbers.
State averages are useful starting points, but your actual rate may be higher or lower. Check your most recent utility bill for the exact “energy charge” in ¢/kWh. For tiered rates, use the blended average: Total Bill ÷ Total kWh. In California and Hawaii, where rates exceed $0.30/kWh, using the right rate makes a huge difference.
Refrigerators don’t run 24 hours at full power — they cycle. The preset hours for a refrigerator is set to 24, but the wattage already accounts for duty cycle (compressor runs ~40% of the time). For HVAC, use actual running hours — not thermostat-on hours. Adjust seasonally for more accurate annual estimates.
Most utilities charge a fixed monthly “customer charge” of $5–$25 regardless of electricity use. Find it on your bill (labeled “Customer Charge,” “Service Charge,” or “Distribution Charge”) and enter it in the optional base charge field. Without it, your estimate will always be slightly below your actual bill.
Appliance label wattages are maximum rated power, not average consumption. A Kill A Watt meter ($25–$45) plugs between your outlet and appliance to measure real-world wattage including standby draw. For major appliances, measured wattage can differ 20–40% from the label. Measure your top 5 energy consumers for the most precise estimate.
A Level 2 (240V/7.2kW) charger adds 200–400 kWh/month for a typical EV driver. Add it to your appliance list to see how dramatically it shifts your bill — and how solar can offset that added cost too.
If the tool’s estimate consistently runs 15–20% below your actual bills, you’re likely missing an appliance (pool pump, grow lights, workshop equipment) or underestimating usage hours for a major device. This cross-check process leads to genuinely useful insights.
This calculator provides a realistic estimate based on appliance wattage and usage patterns from DOE reference data. For most households on straightforward flat-rate pricing, the estimate falls within 10–15% of the actual bill. Accuracy improves when you use your exact $/kWh rate, add all major appliances, enter your fixed base charge, and use measured wattage from a Kill A Watt meter for large appliances. Factors that can cause differences: tiered pricing, TOU rates, demand charges, and taxes — the tool estimates the energy component (typically 60–80% of the total charge).
According to the EIA: HVAC: ~46%, Water Heating: ~14%, Major Appliances (Kitchen + Laundry): ~12%, Electronics: ~12%, Lighting: ~9%, Other: ~7%. The most overlooked large consumers are cable boxes (running 24/7 at 20–25W), gaming consoles in standby (15W), and EV chargers which can double a household’s electricity consumption overnight.
Three methods: (1) Check the label on the back or bottom — if it shows amps and volts only, multiply: Watts = Volts × Amps. (2) Check the product manual or manufacturer website under “Technical Specifications.” (3) Measure with a Kill A Watt meter ($25–$45) — this is the most accurate method for cycling appliances like refrigerators and HVAC units.
Phantom loads are electricity drawn by devices even when they appear to be off. Biggest offenders: cable/satellite box (15–25W continuously), gaming console in standby (1–15W), smart TV standby (0.5–3W), microwave with clock (3–5W). The US DOE estimates standby power accounts for 5–10% of residential electricity use, costing the average household $100–$200/year. The fix: smart power strips ($20–$40) that cut power to entertainment systems when the TV is off.
Central AC (3 ton, 3,500W) at 8 hrs/day, $0.16/kWh: ~$135/month during peak cooling season. Mini-split (1 ton, 900W) at 8 hrs/day: ~$35/month. Window AC (10,000 BTU, 1,000W) at 6 hrs/day: ~$29/month. Key ways to reduce AC costs: raise thermostat by 2°F (saves ~6% on cooling), run ceiling fans (allows setting thermostat 4°F higher), and upgrade to high-SEER equipment. A SEER 20 AC uses less than half the electricity of a SEER 10 unit.
Winter electricity bill spikes are almost always caused by: (1) Electric heating — electric furnace at 10,000W running 4 hours/day costs ~$195/month at $0.16/kWh. (2) More hours indoors using electronics. (3) More artificial lighting with shorter days. (4) Cold incoming water requiring water heater to work harder. (5) Holiday decorations — incandescent string lights can add $10–$30/month. The fix: a heat pump upgrade reduces heating electricity costs by 50–65% vs. electric resistance heating.
60W incandescent → 9W LED saves 51W per bulb. At 6 hours/day and $0.16/kWh, each bulb saves $17.86/year. For a home with 30 sockets: $535/year in savings. LED bulbs cost $2–$5 each → payback period of 1–6 months. LED lifespan: 15,000–25,000 hours vs. 1,000 hours for incandescent — 15–25× fewer replacements. Switching to LED is the fastest-payback home energy upgrade available.
Formula: System Size (kW) = Annual kWh ÷ (Peak Sun Hours × 365 × 0.78). Examples for 10,500 kWh/year: Phoenix AZ (6.5 PSH): 5.6 kW | Dallas TX (5.5 PSH): 6.7 kW | Chicago IL (4.0 PSH): 9.2 kW | Seattle WA (3.8 PSH): 9.6 kW. Solar typically offsets 80–90% of your bill (not 100%) due to fixed utility charges and seasonal variation. At current pricing (~$2.50–$3.00/watt), a 7–9 kW system costs ~$17,500–$27,000 before the 30% federal ITC.
Estimate credits from selling excess solar energy to the grid.
Use Tool →Calculate how quickly your solar investment pays for itself.
Use Tool →Calculate monthly payments and total cost of solar financing.
Use Tool →Project future electricity rate increases and solar savings.
Use Tool →Calculate the right solar system size based on energy usage.
Use Tool →Measure the environmental impact of your solar installation.
Use Tool →.svg)
