United Kingdom · GBP
UK electricity cost calculator
Estimate what an electrical appliance costs to run using your electricity unit rate in pence per kWh. Choose watts and hours, energy per use, annual label energy or a kWh measurement, depending on the information you have.
Calculate your electricity cost
Use watts and running time, or enter energy from a label, meter or completed load. Your inputs stay on this device.
Enter a number within each field’s limits to calculate your cost.
Your estimated energy cost
— across 365 use days per year
Power mode includes your selected duty cycle. The monthly figure assumes 30.44 use days; the annual total uses your selected use days. These are estimates at the entered rate.
Energy charges only. Standing or supply charges, purchase, installation and maintenance are excluded. See the calculation method and sources.
Before you compare costs
- Your electricity bill or supplier account is the best source for your own unit rate. Replace the reference rate when your tariff differs.
- Ofgem reference prices cover England, Scotland and Wales. In Northern Ireland, enter your own supplier rate.
- The result is appliance electricity cost. A standing charge belongs to the electricity supply once per day, not to every appliance.
Convert electricity use into pounds
Cost in pounds = energy in kWh x rate in p/kWh / 100. For a constant electrical draw, energy in kWh = watts / 1,000 x hours. At the example rate of 26.32p/kWh, using 1 kWh costs £0.26 when rounded to the nearest penny.
Rated watts describe electrical power, while kWh describes energy over time. For appliances that cycle or change power, measured energy or a programme-specific energy figure can be more useful than maximum watts.
Use the rate that applies to you
Ofgem publishes reference unit rates and standing charges by electricity region, payment method and meter type. Direct Debit, standard credit and prepayment are different categories. A fixed tariff can also differ from the price-cap reference.
For Economy 7 and other time-of-use tariffs, calculate each portion of energy at its actual rate, then add the costs. The published multi-rate average is not your supplier's individual peak or off-peak rate. Moving use to another time saves nothing on a single-rate tariff.
Use the consumer rate as published on your bill, including any applicable tax. Ofgem states that electricity has no VAT from 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027; do not add an extra 5% to those published electricity rates.
Keep appliance cost separate from the bill
The standing charge is payable for the electricity supply each day even if no electricity is used. Switching off one appliance normally does not remove it, so this running-cost estimate excludes it.
To estimate the electricity part of a property bill, add the costs of all electricity used and the daily electricity standing charge once for each day covered. Add other relevant bill adjustments separately. Ofgem's headline price-cap amount is a typical-use reference, not a maximum total bill.
Weekly, monthly or annual projections assume the usage schedule and rate you enter. If either changes, calculate separate periods or update the inputs. Holding one quarter's rate constant for a year does not predict future price caps.
Calculation method
Cost in GBP = energy in kWh × rate in pence per kWh ÷ 100. Power mode estimates kWh from watts ÷ 1,000 × hours × duty cycle ÷ 100. Enter 100% duty for continuously drawn or already averaged watts.
In power mode, the monthly equivalent uses 30.44 use days. Annual cost uses your chosen use days, initially 365. For seasonal use, reduce the annual days. Annual energy mode uses the entered kWh/year without another duty or use-day factor, then divides annual cost by 12.
Meter mode prices the measured kWh over the entered elapsed days and projects the daily average. Per-use mode multiplies kWh per use by uses per active week and active weeks per year; its planning year has 52 weeks (364 days), and its monthly average is annual cost ÷ 12. No projection predicts future prices or weather.
A single entered price applies to all energy in this appliance calculator. It excludes fixed standing or supply charges. Use the time-of-use versus single-rate comparison to enter two or three price bands and each plan's daily charge over the same period. Neither tool models demand charges, export credits or every tariff rule.
Calculations happen in your browser. Calculator inputs are not submitted to our server. Worked tables are arithmetic scenarios, not measurements of household appliances. Prices and energy are rounded for display; positive costs below one penny or cent are shown as less than £0.01.
GB electricity price references by region
Ofgem, 1 October–31 December 2026: Direct Debit, single-rate meter. These are regional price-cap references, not every supplier’s tariff. The GB average is 26.32p/kWh plus a 54.83p daily standing charge. Standing charges are shown separately and excluded from appliance costs.
| Electricity region | Unit rate (p/kWh) | Standing charge (p/day) |
|---|---|---|
| North Western England | 26.49 | 45.68 |
| North Eastern England | 25.46 | 61.58 |
| Yorkshire | 25.60 | 61.67 |
| Northern Scotland | 26.35 | 55.14 |
| Southern England | 26.47 | 47.81 |
| Southern Scotland | 26.11 | 61.41 |
| Merseyside and Northern Wales | 27.86 | 67.66 |
| London | 26.60 | 42.92 |
| South Eastern England | 26.88 | 52.32 |
| Eastern England | 26.61 | 51.84 |
| East Midlands | 25.36 | 51.45 |
| West Midlands | 25.60 | 57.23 |
| South Western England | 26.58 | 55.58 |
| Southern Wales | 26.55 | 55.41 |
Ofgem states there is no VAT on electricity from 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027. No additional VAT has been added here. Northern Ireland is outside this Ofgem reference.
Common questions
How much does 1 kWh of electricity cost in the UK?
It costs your tariff's unit rate. The example used here is 26.32p/kWh, equivalent to £0.2632 per kWh. Actual rates depend on your supplier, region, payment method and tariff; the Ofgem reference is for Great Britain.
Is one unit of electricity the same as one kWh?
On a domestic electricity bill, a unit of electricity means one kilowatt-hour. For example, a constant 1,000 W draw over one hour uses 1 kWh.
Should I add the standing charge to each appliance?
No. It is a daily charge for the electricity supply, not a charge created by each appliance. Add it once per day only when estimating the relevant household electricity bill.
Does the price cap limit my total bill?
No. It limits charges for energy and the standing charge within its scope, not how much energy you use. A home that uses more energy can pay more than the headline typical-use amount.
Can I use my fixed tariff or a Northern Ireland rate?
Yes. Enter the unit price from your own tariff. An Ofgem GB reference should not replace a fixed deal or a Northern Ireland supplier rate.
Should I reduce measured kWh for duty cycle?
No. A kWh measurement already includes the on/off behaviour during the measured period. Duty cycle is for estimating energy from active power and elapsed time; applying it again would undercount measured energy.
Appliance guides
Cost comparisons
Sources and checking your inputs
- Ofgem: energy price cap unit rates and standing charges
- Ofgem: what the energy price cap covers
- Citizens Advice: comparing electrical appliance costs
Source review: 2 October 2026. Use the rate and energy units on your own tariff and product documentation. Report a correction.