Calculator

What does it cost to run?

A shower, a kettle, a tumble dryer, a heater: what each one costs per use and per year at your prices, and what using it a little less would save.

Verified: 23 October 2026 from Ofgem price cap, National Energy Action appliance ranges
How is this calculated?

Your prices

These start at the price cap. Put in your own tariff’s unit rates if they differ; on a time-of-use tariff, use the rate for when you usually run things. Standing charges don’t count: you pay them whether anything is on or not.

What does a shower cost?

Your shower
Water temperatures

One shower

29p

3.68 kWh of gas, 96 litres of water

Your home’s showers, a year

£214

2 a day, 2,684 kWh

Each minute shorter saves

£27 a year

across every shower in your home

Cutting every shower from 8 to 6 minutes saves about £53 a year, and 17,520 litres of water, which on a water meter you pay for twice: to supply it and to take it away.

Gas showers: see how much of your gas goes on hot water with the gas usage analyser.

What do your appliances cost?

Each starts mid-way through the range typical models fall in, with a guess at how much you use it. Change the figures to match yours: the wattage is on the appliance’s rating plate, and the kWh per cycle on its energy label.

KettleTypical: 2,500 to 3,000 W

A use: 4p

A year: £66

Washing machine, full loadTypical: 0.50 to 1.00 kWh a cycle

A use: 20p

A year: £51

Tumble dryer, vented or condenserTypical: 4.44 to 5.70 kWh a cycle

A use: £1.33

A year: £209

Electric ovenTypical: 2,000 to 2,400 W

A use: 58p

A year: £121

Electric hob, one ringTypical: 1,000 to 2,000 W

A use: 13p

A year: £69

MicrowaveTypical: 700 to 1,400 W

A use: 2p

A year: £12

Slow cookerTypical: 150 to 300 W

A use: 53p

A year: £27

Electric heater (fan or convector)Typical: 1,000 to 3,000 W

A use: £1.05

A year: £384

IronTypical: 1,000 to 3,000 W

A use: 26p

A year: £27

Vacuum cleanerTypical: 600 to 900 W

A use: 10p

A year: £10

TV (LCD)Typical: 25 to 175 W

A use: 11p

A year: £38

Games consoleTypical: 100 to 200 W

A use: 8p

A year: £29

All of these, a year: £1,044

The biggest here is the electric heater (fan or convector), at £384 a year. Anything that heats, whether water, air or food, costs far more than anything that doesn’t.

Independent calculator. We don’t pass your details to installers. We don’t earn commission from the result. We update underlying rates monthly and source everything from authoritative public data. See the full methodology.

Common questions

How much does a 10-minute shower cost?
At today’s price cap, about 37p with hot water from a gas combi (12 litres a minute) and about 37p with an 8.5 kW electric shower. A gas shower uses more energy, but gas costs about a third as much per kWh as electricity. Put in your own shower’s details to see yours.
Is an electric shower cheaper than a combi?
Per minute they are often similar, because the electric shower uses less energy at a much higher price per kWh. The electric shower usually delivers less water, though, which is part of why it can cost less. A power shower or a high-flow mixer on a combi can cost noticeably more than either.
Does the standing charge count?
No. The standing charge is a daily fee you pay whether or not anything is switched on, so it adds nothing to what running an appliance costs, and you save none of it by using less. Only the unit rate counts.
Where do the appliance figures come from?
The power ranges are from National Energy Action, a fuel poverty charity. Each appliance starts at the middle of its range, with a guess at how often you use it; change both to match your own. The wattage is on the appliance’s rating plate, and newer washing machines, dryers and dishwashers show kWh per cycle on their energy label.

Looking for one appliance? Appliance running costs has a page for each, from electric blankets to tumble dryers, and the electricity cost calculator adds several together.