Appliance Running Cost Calculator
Find out what any appliance costs to run per hour, per month and per year at your electricity rate.
Heaters, air conditioners and fridges cycle on and off, so they often use less than their full rated power. Treat the result as an upper estimate for those appliances.
Printed from ClearCalc (clearcalc.com.au/appliance-running-cost-calculator/). Estimates only, not financial advice.
How to work out what an appliance costs to run
Find the appliance's power rating in watts (W) on its label or in the manual. Then:
watts ÷ 1,000 × hours used × your electricity rate
A 2,400 W heater uses 2.4 kWh in an hour. At 30 cents per kWh, that's 72 cents an hour, or about $2.16 for a three-hour evening.
Running costs at 30c per kWh
| Appliance | Power | Cost per hour |
|---|---|---|
| Portable fan or panel heater (2,400 W) | 2.40 kW | $0.72 |
| Oil column heater (1,500 W) | 1.50 kW | $0.45 |
| Reverse-cycle air conditioner, small room (~800 W) | 0.80 kW | $0.24 |
| Reverse-cycle air conditioner, large room (~1,500 W) | 1.50 kW | $0.45 |
| Clothes dryer, vented (2,400 W) | 2.40 kW | $0.72 |
| Heat pump clothes dryer (~900 W) | 0.90 kW | $0.27 |
| Dishwasher (~1.2 kWh a cycle) | 1.20 kW | $0.36 |
| Washing machine, warm wash (~0.6 kWh a load) | 0.60 kW | $0.18 |
| Fridge (~1 kWh a day) | 0.04 kW | $0.01 |
| Pool pump (1,100 W) | 1.10 kW | $0.33 |
| Television (120 W) | 0.12 kW | $0.04 |
| Desktop computer and monitor (150 W) | 0.15 kW | $0.04 |
| Kettle (2,200 W) | 2.20 kW | $0.66 |
| Microwave (1,000 W) | 1.00 kW | $0.30 |
| Electric blanket (100 W) | 0.10 kW | $0.03 |
For appliances rated per cycle or per day (dishwasher, washing machine, fridge), the cost per hour is shown for the equivalent average power.
What's the cheapest way to heat a room?
A reverse-cycle air conditioner is usually the cheapest. It moves heat from outside rather than creating it, so it delivers around three to five times more heat than the electricity it uses. A fan heater or oil column heater turns each unit of electricity into one unit of heat. Heating the same room can cost three or four times more with a portable heater than with reverse-cycle air conditioning.
Tips to cut appliance costs
- Set heating to 18–20°C in winter and cooling to 25–27°C in summer. Each degree can change running costs by around 10%.
- Dry clothes on a line when you can. A vented dryer is one of the most expensive appliances to run.
- Run the dishwasher and washing machine with full loads, using eco programs.
- Turn appliances off at the wall when not in use, especially older TVs and game consoles.
- Check you're on a good plan using our electricity bill calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to run a heater per hour?
A 2,400 W fan or panel heater costs about 72 cents an hour at 30c/kWh. A 1,500 W oil heater costs about 45 cents an hour. A reverse-cycle air conditioner heating a small room often costs 20–30 cents an hour.
How much does it cost to run a clothes dryer?
A vented dryer uses around 2–3 kWh a load, roughly 60–90 cents at 30c/kWh. A heat pump dryer uses about half as much.
How much does a fridge cost to run per year?
A typical modern fridge uses around 300–450 kWh a year, which is about $90–$135 at 30c/kWh. Old second fridges can cost much more.
How do I convert watts to kWh?
Divide watts by 1,000 and multiply by the hours used. A 500 W appliance running for 4 hours uses 2 kWh.
Official sources used for this calculator include: Australian Energy Regulator – Default Market Offer, Essential Services Commission – Victorian Default Offer, Energy Made Easy (Australian Government). See how we calculate.
Reviewed by the ClearCalc team. Last reviewed October 2026. This calculator gives an estimate for general information only. Check important figures with the relevant government agency or a licensed professional.