Residential | Commercial Call Us: 877.572.0442 ☰ MENU What is a Kilowatt-Hour? Residential electricity usage is measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh). One kilowatt-hour (1 kWh) is equal to the amount of energy you would use if you kept a single 1,000-watt appliance running for one hour. So, if you switched on a 100-watt light bulb, it would take 10 hours to rack up 1 kWh of energy. Or, a 2,000-watt appliance would use 1 kWh in just half an hour, while a 50-watt appliance could stay on for 20 hours before it used 1 kWh. One kilowatt-hour of electricity is enough to: Watch television for 10 hours Vacuum for one hour Wash 12 pounds of laundry Work on computer for 5-10 Below is a chart of common household items and an approximation of kWh electricity usage and cost based on a $0.10 kwh electricity supply rate. It does not include delivery & service charges that your local energy utility will charge. Appliance/Equipment Avg. Usage Monthly kWh Cost/Month (based on $0.10 per kWh rate) Comfort & Health Air Conditioner – Window 12,000 BTU (1,400 Watts) 8 hours/day 341 $34.10 Electric Blanket (177 Watts) 8 hours/night 43 $4.30 Dehumidifier (257 Watts) 12 hours/day 94 $9.40 Fan – Window (200 Watts) 2 hours/day 12 $1.20 Fan – Ceiling (125 Watts) 12 hours/day 46 $4.60 Heat Pump (High Efficiency) (1,800 Sq. ft. house) 8.5 HSPF* daily Average Annual Cost $762.30 Humidifier (177 Watts) 8 hours/day 43 $4.30 Water Heater (4500 W) 3 hours/day 411 $41.10 Hair Dryer (1,000 W) 15 min./day 7.6 $0.76 *Heating Season Performance Factor (an efficiency rating) **Based on 4,296 Heating Degree Days. Cooling costs would be approximately 40% of total energy costs. Food Prep. & Preservation Blender/Food Processor (400 Watts) 1 hour/week 2 $0.20 Coffee Maker (894 Watts) one hour/day 27 $2.70 Dishwasher (1,200 Watts) (excludes hot water costs) one hour/day 37 $3.70 Microwave Oven (1,450 W) 30 min./day 22 $2.20 Range (12,200 Watts) 30 min./day 186 $18.60 Refrigerator – 14 Cu. Ft. (440 W.) 12 hrs/day 161 $16.10 Laundry Clothes Dryer (4,900 W) 6 loads/week 90 $9.00 Washer (512 Watts)(Excludes water costs) 6 loads/week 9 $0.90 Iron (1,008 Watts) 2 hours/week 8 $0.80 Home Entertainment 42″ Plasma TV (320 Watts) (instant-on TVs use some electricity continuously) 35 hours/week 44.8 $4.48 Lighting 40-Watt Bulb (40 W) 4 hours/day 5 $0.50 Equivalent compact fluorescent 4 hours/day 1.375 $0.14 60-Watt Bulb (60 W) 4 hours/day 7 $0.70 Equivalent compact fluorescent 4 hours/day 1.625 $0.16 75-Watt Bulb (75 W) 4 hours/day 9 $0.90 Equivalent compact fluorescent 4 hours/day 2.5 $0.25 100-Watt Bulb (100 W) 4 hours/day 12 $1.20 Equivalent compact fluorescent 4 hours/day 3.25 $0.33 Electricity Usage & Kilowatt- Hours Electricity usage is tracked by your home’s electric meters. These electric meters are able to record the amount of electricity that flows in and out of your home. Your local utility company reads your electricity meter every month (or two) in order to determine your monthly usage. Meter readings are typically displayed on your electricity bill as a longer string of numbers, but your monthly energy usage can be determined by subtracting last month’s reading from this month’s reading. Although most do the subtraction for you, resulting in the total kWh line item. The average household uses approximately 908 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity every month. Generally speaking, utilities charge their customers based on how much electricity they use. This means that if your usage goes up, so does your electricity bill. The amount you owe is determined by multiplying your utility’s supply & delivery rate per kWh by the total kWh of electricity you used that month. Usage and pricing can vary depending on many different factors, such as the number of residents in a home, the size of a home, and the efficiency of appliances. Serving Customers in: Connecticut Georgia Illinois Maine Maryland New Hampshire New Jersey New York Ohio Pennsylvania Rhode Island Texas FEATURED IN SHOP ENERGY PLANS Shop electricity rates Shop natural gas rates After you Enroll LEARN Home energy management Understandabill™ Frequently asked questions Energy deregulation What is a KWH? Deregulation About Electricity About Natural Gas CONTACT US North American Power 1500 Rankin Rd., Suite 200 Houston, TX 77073 Contact us ABOUT US Who we are Careers Connect with us © 2021, North American Power & Gas, LLC Licensed in CT, GA, IL, MD, ME, NH, NY, NJ, OH, PA, RI, TX Legal | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use