Estimated bill
$159.30 a month
$1,912 a year
Example: 870 kWh at the U.S. average of 18.31¢/kWh (July 2026).
The average U.S. bill is $157 a month.
An estimate of the energy charge only. Fixed fees, taxes, demand charges and tiered rates on your bill are not included.
How the calculator works
Monthly cost = kWh used × price per kWh. For appliances, kWh per month = watts × hours a day × 30.4 ÷ 1,000; appliances rated in kWh per year (like refrigerators) are divided by 12.
Rates come from the U.S. Energy Information Administration: your state’s latest average price (July 2026), or your utility’s average residential price from the annual EIA-861 survey when you pick one. ZIP codes are matched to utilities with NREL’s utility rate data. In areas where you buy power from a retail supplier, we use the state average.
Electric bill calculator FAQ
How do I calculate my electric bill?
Multiply the kWh you use in a month by your price per kWh. For example, 1,000 kWh at 15 cents per kWh is $150. Fixed monthly fees, taxes and tiered rates make a real bill differ from this estimate.
How do I work out how much electricity an appliance uses?
Multiply its wattage by the hours you use it each day and by 30.4 days, then divide by 1,000 to get kWh per month. A 1,500-watt heater used for 4 hours a day uses about 182 kWh a month.
Where does the rate come from?
If you enter a ZIP code and pick your utility, we use that utility’s average residential price from EIA’s utility survey. Otherwise we use your state’s latest average price. You can always type in the rate from your own bill instead.
What is the average electric bill?
The average U.S. home paid $157 a month over the last 12 months, using 870 kWh. See the average bill in every state on our average electric bill page.
Sources: U.S. Energy Information Administration (retail sales data, EIA-861), National Renewable Energy Laboratory (U.S. Utility Rates by ZIP Code, CC-BY 4.0), U.S. DOE and ENERGY STAR for appliance wattages. Last updated 2026-10-20.