What heating & cooling appliances cost to run
The biggest numbers on almost every electricity bill. Heating and cooling is where a single appliance can cost more than everything else in the house put together — and where the difference between resistance heat and a heat pump is measured in hundreds of dollars a season.
| Appliance | Per month | Per year | On this assumption |
|---|---|---|---|
| Space heater | $41.46 | $497 | 1,500W for 5 h a day |
| Central air conditioner | $99.50 | $1,193 | 63 kWh of heat a day at a COP of 3.5 |
| Window AC unit | $43.30 | $519 | 24 kWh of heat a day at a COP of 3 |
| Portable AC unit | $48.65 | $583 | 22 kWh of heat a day at a COP of 2.5 |
| Heat pump (heating) | $82.92 | $994 | 45 kWh of heat a day at a COP of 3 |
| Electric furnace | $166 | $1,989 | 10,000W for 3 h a day |
| Baseboard heater | $49.75 | $597 | 1,500W for 6 h a day |
| Ceiling fan | $2.87 | $34.47 | 65W for 8 h a day |
| Dehumidifier | $33.17 | $398 | 500W running 50% of 24 h |
| Electric blanket | $4.42 | $53.03 | 100W for 8 h a day |
| Humidifier | $2.21 | $26.51 | 40W for 10 h a day |
Each figure comes from that appliance's own usage model — a fridge is costed on how much of the day its compressor runs, a dishwasher on energy per cycle and cycles per week, an EV on miles driven. Open any calculator to change the assumption to yours.
Data basis
- Electricity price
- U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.B, June 2026 year to date, released 2026-08-26. Retrieved 2026-09-11. Average residential revenue per kWh. A benchmark average, not a utility tariff — it excludes the fixed charges, tiers, time-of-use windows, taxes and fuel adjustments on a real bill.
- International prices
- rounded typical household tariffs for each market, in that market's own currency unless the row says US$ equivalent. These are planning benchmarks with no single primary source; enter the per-kWh price from your own bill for an accurate figure.
- Last reviewed
- 20 August 2026. Next scheduled review 20 February 2027.
- Corrections
- Think a figure is wrong? Tell us at corrections@watt-dollar.com and see our corrections policy.
Other categories
Heating and cooling at home
More heating and cooling at home
