Cost guide
Most Expensive Appliances to Run in 2026: Cost per Hour Ranked
Ranked by electricity cost per hour at the U.S. average residential rate of $0.16/kWh. Heating, cooling and anything that heats water or air dominates the top of the list — these appliances combine high wattage with long run times. Your actual cost scales linearly with your local rate.
| # | Appliance | Watts | Cost/hr | Cost/day | Cost/year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Electric tankless water heater Short bursts, very high draw | 27,000 W | $4.32 | $2.16 | $788.40 |
| 2 | Electric furnace / resistance heat Whole-home backup heat | 15,000 W | $2.40 | $9.60 | $3,504.00 |
| 3 | EV charger (Level 2, 240V) Charges ~30 miles of range per hour | 7,200 W | $1.15 | $3.46 | $1,261.44 |
| 4 | Hot tub / spa heater Maintains set temperature | 5,500 W | $0.88 | $2.64 | $963.60 |
| 5 | Electric water heater (tank) Standard 50-gallon tank | 4,500 W | $0.72 | $2.16 | $788.40 |
| 6 | Central air conditioner (3-ton) Peak summer cooling | 3,500 W | $0.56 | $3.36 | $1,226.40 |
| 7 | Heat pump (cold-climate) More efficient than resistance heat | 3,000 W | $0.48 | $2.88 | $1,051.20 |
| 8 | Clothes dryer (electric) Per drying cycle | 3,000 W | $0.48 | $0.48 | $175.20 |
| 9 | Electric oven (bake) Excludes preheat spikes | 2,400 W | $0.38 | $0.38 | $140.16 |
| 10 | Dishwasher (heat dry) Mostly the heating element | 1,800 W | $0.29 | $0.29 | $105.12 |
| 11 | Space heater (portable) Highest-wattage plug-in device | 1,500 W | $0.24 | $1.20 | $438.00 |
| 12 | Hair dryer Only while actively drying | 1,500 W | $0.24 | $0.05 | $17.52 |
| 13 | Microwave Short, intense runs | 1,200 W | $0.19 | $0.05 | $17.52 |
| 14 | Window AC (12,000 BTU) Single-room cooling | 1,200 W | $0.19 | $1.15 | $420.48 |
| 15 | Toaster oven Short runs | 1,200 W | $0.19 | $0.05 | $17.52 |
| 16 | Coffee maker (brewing) Keeps warm at lower draw | 1,000 W | $0.16 | $0.03 | $11.68 |
| 17 | Gaming PC + monitor Under sustained load | 500 W | $0.08 | $0.32 | $116.80 |
| 18 | Refrigerator (running) Compressor cycles on/off | 350 W | $0.06 | $0.45 | $163.52 |
| 19 | LED TV (65") Modern LED backlight | 110 W | $0.02 | $0.09 | $32.12 |
| 20 | Laptop (charging + use) Most of the day idle | 65 W | $0.01 | $0.06 | $22.78 |
| 21 | Incandescent light bulb A single old bulb | 60 W | $0.01 | $0.04 | $14.02 |
| 22 | Phone charger (in use) Negligible cost | 12 W | $0.00 | $0.01 | $2.10 |
| 23 | Wi-Fi router + modem Always-on standby load | 10 W | $0.00 | $0.04 | $14.02 |
| 24 | LED light bulb (equivalent) Same brightness, 85% less | 9 W | $0.00 | $0.01 | $2.10 |
The big five: where your bill goes
In a typical U.S. home, five categories account for the majority of the electric bill:
- 1. Heating & cooling (HVAC) — almost always the largest single load. Central air, heat pumps and resistance heat can each cost $80–$200+ per month in season.
- 2. Water heating — an electric tank heater runs several hours a day and can cost $30–$60 per month for a family of four.
- 3. Clothes dryer — about $0.50 per load adds up fast with daily use.
- 4. Refrigerator— modest per-hour cost, but it runs 24/7/365, so it adds $60–$120 per year even though it never “spikes.”
- 5. EV charging — the new big one. A daily 40-mile commute adds roughly $55–$70 per month at the average rate, far cheaper per mile than gasoline.
How to actually cut your bill
Attack heating & cooling first
A 1°F change on the thermostat moves HVAC cost by about 3–6%. Set cooling to 78°F and heating to 68°F, seal duct leaks, and replace filters quarterly.
Switch resistance heat to a heat pump
Heat pumps move 2–4 units of heat per unit of electricity, cutting heating cost by 50–75% versus electric resistance furnaces or baseboards.
Line-dry when you can
Skipping the dryer just two days a week saves roughly $50–$70 per year. A heat-pump dryer cuts the rest by 40–60%.
Kill standby loads
Put entertainment and office gear on smart power strips. Trimming 30 W of always-on draw saves about $42 a year.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most expensive appliance to run per hour?+
A whole-home electric tankless water heater draws up to 27,000 W, costing about $4.32 per hour while it runs — but it only runs in short bursts. Of appliances that run for long stretches, a 240V Level 2 EV charger (~$1.15/hr) and an electric resistance furnace (~$2.40/hr) are the most expensive, followed by a hot tub heater (~$0.88/hr) and central air conditioner (~$0.56/hr at the U.S. average rate).
How much does it cost to run a central air conditioner per hour?+
A typical 3-ton central air conditioner draws about 3,500 W, which works out to roughly $0.56 per hour at the U.S. average rate of $0.16/kWh. Running it 6 hours a day in summer costs about $3.36 per day or around $100 per month. In hot states with higher rates (Hawaii, California, Texas), the same usage can cost two to three times more.
How is the cost per hour calculated?+
Cost per hour = (watts ÷ 1,000) × electricity rate per kWh. The figures on this page use the U.S. average residential rate of $0.16/kWh. Your real rate varies by state and utility — from about $0.12/kWh in parts of the South to over $0.43/kWh in Hawaii. Multiply the table values by (your rate ÷ 0.16) to adjust.
Which appliances waste the most money on standby?+
Always-on devices — Wi-Fi routers, cable boxes, game consoles in rest mode, smart TVs and old chargers — draw 1 to 20 W continuously. A single cable DVR box pulling 25 W all year costs about $35 annually for nothing. Across a home, standby ("vampire") load typically adds 5 to 10% to an electric bill.
Does a clothes dryer really cost that much to run?+
Yes. An electric dryer draws about 3,000 W and a typical cycle runs close to an hour, so each load costs roughly $0.48 at the U.S. average rate. A family doing one load per day spends about $175 per year just on drying. Line-drying, using lower heat, or switching to a heat-pump dryer can cut that by 50% or more.
How much can I save by switching to LED bulbs?+
A 60 W incandescent bulb used 4 hours a day costs about $14 per year. The equivalent LED (9 W) costs about $2.10 — a savings of roughly $12 per bulb, per year. Replacing 20 bulbs across a home saves about $240 annually, plus LEDs last 10 to 25 times longer.
Wattages are typical operating values and vary by model, age and condition. Daily figures use the “typical hours per day” column; annual figures assume 365 days of that pattern. Rates and prices are U.S. averages for 2026 — verify against your local utility tariff for budgeting.