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Australia
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How much does it cost to run an appliance?

Work out what any appliance costs to run per use, per month and per year on your own electricity rate — including what it draws on standby.

Showing Australian rates
United KingdomUnited StatesCanadaIrelandGermanyBelgiumAustriaItalySpainFranceNetherlandsPortugalGreeceFinland

Using the Australian average of 48.69c/kWh — the Australian Energy Regulator, the 2026–27 Default Market Offer, from 1 July 2026.

Rates vary widely across Australian — picking yours makes the answer far closer.
Wattage is on the rating plate or in the manual. Washing machines and dishwashers usually quote kWh per cycle instead.
Usage
W
min
kWh
Your tariff
c/kWh
On your bill or in your online account. If you do not know it, the average for your area is filled in already.
W
Leave at 0 if you unplug it. Most things with a clock, light or remote draw 0.5–3 W.
Cost per use $0.49
Cost per year $177
Cost per month $14.77
Energy per use 1 kWh
Energy per year 364 kWh
Of which standby $0.00

Common cases

How this is worked out

Electricity is billed per kilowatt hour. An appliance's kilowatt hours are its power in kilowatts multiplied by the hours it runs — so a 2,000 W appliance running for 30 minutes uses 1 kWh. Multiply that by your unit rate and you have the cost. The standing charge is not included here because you pay it whether or not you switch anything on.

What this assumes

  • The appliance draws its rated power for the whole time it is on. Anything thermostatically controlled — ovens, heaters, fridges — cycles on and off, so the real figure is lower.
  • Your unit rate stays flat all day. On a time-of-use tariff the same appliance costs materially different amounts depending on when you run it.
  • A year is 52 weeks of identical use, which overstates seasonal appliances and understates ones you use in bursts.
  • The rate filled in for you is an average that spreads fixed charges across a year's usage, so it sits above what one extra unit really costs. Entering the unit rate from your own bill gives a closer answer.

Questions

Does this include the standing charge?

No, and deliberately. The standing charge is a fixed daily fee for being connected at all, so it does not change when you run an appliance more or less. Including it would make every appliance look more expensive than it is.

Where do I find the wattage?

On the rating plate — usually a sticker on the back, base or inside the door — or in the manual. It is written as W or kW. If it only quotes amps, multiply amps by 230 to get watts.

Why is my bill higher than the total this gives?

Because this prices one appliance. Heating, hot water and the constant background draw of everything left plugged in usually make up more of a bill than the appliances people think to check.

Sources

Rates from AER for the 2026–27 Default Market Offer, from 1 July 2026. Last reviewed 21 August 2026.