Winter bill mini-flow

Build my winter bill

Pick what runs in your home this winter, set your rate and hours, and see the ranked cost — then three concrete actions, each with the savings formula shown. Never a made-up stat.

1 Pick heaters & habits
2 Set rate & hours
3 Actions

Space heating Portable space heaters, electric fireplaces, oil-filled radiators 750 W – 1.5 kW typical — varies by model Baseboard heating Whole-room electric baseboard units running through the cold months 750 W – 2.0 kW typical — varies by model Electric water heating Tank or tankless water heater — more hot showers in winter 3.0 kW – 5.5 kW typical — varies by model Drying laundry The dryer taking over when the outdoor line goes away 2.0 kW – 5.0 kW typical — varies by model Lighting More hours of indoor light on shorter days 5 W – 15 W typical — varies by model

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Electricity rate

U.S. Energy Information Administration, June 2026 year to date — the same table the calculator uses.

Hours per day

Ranked cost breakdown

Three concrete ways to lower the bill

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The same breakdown, without JavaScriptInteractive steps need JavaScript. The table below is the ranked winter picture at the U.S. average rate.

#	Category	Typical wattage	Winter use	Est. monthly cost
1	Space heatingPortable space heaters, electric fireplaces, oil-filled radiators	750 W – 1.5 kW	4–12 hr/day	$33.17 – $66.33per month at $0.1816/kWh	guide
2	Baseboard heatingWhole-room electric baseboard units running through the cold months	750 W – 2.0 kW	6–16 hr/day	$45.61 – $122per month at $0.1816/kWh	guide
3	Electric water heatingRun-time equivalent of the tank's duty cycle	3.0 kW – 5.5 kW	2–4 hr/day	$49.75 – $91.21per month at $0.1816/kWh	guide
4	Drying laundryElement draw x run time — the guide costs it per cycle	2.0 kW – 5.0 kW	0.5–2 hr/day	$16.58 – $41.46per month at $0.1816/kWh	guide
5	LightingMore hours of indoor light on shorter days	5 W – 15 W	4–8 hr/day	$0.17 – $0.50per month at $0.1816/kWh	guide

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.
Appliance energy: Typical wattage ranges from manufacturer specs, DOE and ENERGY STAR data — ranges, never single confident points.
Usage model: watts × hours × rate ÷ 1000 — the same continuous-watts arithmetic as the calculator, with your hours and your rate
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.