What your devices actually cost to run
Most pages answering this give you one number and never say what wattage they assumed or what tariff they used, so you cannot check it and the numbers never agree with each other. Here both inputs are published figures with dates, the arithmetic is shown, and you can put your own tariff in.
Both inputs are published
Wattages come from labelling programmes and manufacturer specifications. The price of a kilowatt-hour comes from the EIA monthly publication, quoted with its reporting month.
The arithmetic is shown
Watts, hours, kilowatt-hours, cents. Every step is on the page, so a figure you disagree with can be traced to the assumption you disagree with.
Assumptions are named, not hidden
Per day means nothing without saying how many hours. Twenty-four hours and four hours differ by six times, and we always say which one a figure is.
The price of electricity we use
18.44¢ per kilowatt-hour — the US residential average for 2026-05, per U.S. Energy Information Administration, checked .
It is an average, so it is wrong for you specifically — state rates run from around 12 cents to over 50. Every device page takes your own rate as an input instead of pretending the average is your bill. Residential sector, US average, as published in Electric Power Monthly released 23 July 2026. This is a revenue-weighted average across all residential customers and utilities, not a tariff any single household pays: state averages ranged from roughly 12 cents to over 50 in the same period.
Devices
Each page answers the four questions separately, because they are not the same question.
How much electricity does a dishwasher use?
Dishwasher
239 kWh a year
$44 a year, measured
How much electricity does an air conditioner use?
Air conditioner
426 kWh a year
$79 a year, measured
How much electricity does a washing machine use?
Washing machine
110 kWh a year
$20 a year, measured
How much electricity does a freezer use?
Freezer
405 kWh a year
$75 a year, measured
How much electricity does a refrigerator use?
Refrigerator
435 kWh a year
$80 a year, measured
How much electricity does a dryer use?
Tumble dryer
608 kWh a year
$112 a year, measured
How many watts does a hair dryer use?
Hair dryer
1200–1875 W
$414 a year at 4 h/day
How many watts does a toaster use?
Toaster
1000–1500 W
$337 a year at 4 h/day
SmartTechDay is an independent reference on running costs. We sell nothing, take no commission, and have no relationship with any manufacturer or utility mentioned.