Your electricity bill comes down to two things: how many kilowatt-hours (kWh) you use, and the price you pay for each kWh. Once you know those two numbers, you can estimate what any appliance costs to run.
The two parts of a UK bill
- Usage: the kWh your meter records. One kWh is one kilowatt running for one hour, or 1,000 watts for one hour.
- Unit rate and standing charge: the price per kWh, plus a daily standing charge that applies whatever you use.
For reference, Ofgem's price cap for July to September 2026 (for a typical standard variable tariff paid by Direct Debit, including VAT) was about 26.1p per kWh with a standing charge of about 57.2p per day, according to figures published in summaries of the cap. Caps change every quarter, so check the current rate on Ofgem's website and your own tariff before you use these numbers.
Work out one appliance's cost
Cost per use = (watts ÷ 1,000) × hours × unit rate
Example: a 2,000 W kettle that runs for 3 minutes (0.05 hours) uses 0.1 kWh per boil. At 26.1p per kWh, that is about 2.6p per boil. Kettle energy depends on how much water you boil, so this is a typical figure rather than an exact one.
Why the standing charge matters
The standing charge is paid every day even if you use no electricity. Divide the annual amount by 365 to get the daily figure. For a home that uses little electricity, the standing charge can be a large share of the bill.
Check your estimate
- Add up the kWh you expect each appliance to use in a month.
- Multiply by your unit rate.
- Add the standing charge for the month.
- Compare the total with the bill your supplier sends.
If the numbers differ by a lot, check the meter reading or the appliance's rating label.
Try it on the calculator
Enter your appliance's watts and hours in the Electricity Bill & Device CO₂ Calculator to compare what different appliances cost to run.
This is an educational estimate. Real bills include your tariff details, VAT and any time-of-use pricing that this simple method does not cover.
No comments:
Post a Comment