Electricity Bill Calculator
See what your next power bill will look like. This electricity bill calculator multiplies your monthly kWh usage by your rate per kWh, adds your fixed service charge, then applies taxes. You get a breakdown of each piece plus the average daily cost and the full-year estimate. Use it to forecast bills, compare retail electricity plans, or figure out what a new appliance, EV, or AC run schedule will cost you.
How the Electricity Bill Formula Works
The standard residential bill has three pieces:
- Usage charge = kWh used x rate per kWh
- Fixed charge = flat monthly service or delivery fee
- Taxes = (usage + fixed) x tax rate
Total bill = usage + fixed + taxes. Divide by 30 for daily cost. Multiply by 12 for the annual estimate.
Typical US Residential Numbers
- Average household: ~900 kWh/month
- US average retail rate: ~$0.16/kWh (EIA 2024)
- Cheap grid states (ID, UT, WA, LA): $0.10-$0.12/kWh
- Expensive grid states (CA, MA, CT, HI): $0.28-$0.42/kWh
- Texas deregulated retail: $0.10-$0.14/kWh on typical fixed plans
How to Calculate Electricity Bill from Meter Reading
If you want to verify your bill or predict it mid-cycle, read your meter at the start and end of the period. Subtract the old reading from the new reading to get kWh used. Enter that number in this electricity bill calculator with your rate and fixed charge. For an analog meter, always read the dial pointers from right to left and take the lower of the two numbers when a pointer is between digits.
Calculating Electricity Bill by Watts
For a single appliance, an electricity bill calculator by watts uses: (watts x hours per day x days per month) / 1000 = kWh. A 1,500-watt space heater running 6 hours a day for 30 days uses 270 kWh. At $0.16/kWh, that's $43.20 added to your bill, before taxes and fees.