A fridge from its energy label
363.5 kWh × €0.30 = €109.05 per year. The average is €9.09 per month; actual summer and winter consumption may differ.
Annual running cost €109.05 /year Open in the calculator
Appliance energy and running cost
Start with an appliance example, then use its energy label or adjust the power and time to match your own appliance.
Annual running cost
€109.05/year
From your annual energy figure and unit price.
Check the values to see a result.
- Annual energy
- 363.5 kWh/year
- Average monthly cost
- €9.09 /month
- Average across the whole year
- 0.9959 kWh/day
Energy charges only. Monthly and daily figures are annual averages, not seasonal predictions.
How it’s calculated
- Annual cost = annual kWh × unit price=363.5 × 0.3=€109.05/year
Annual energy = (on W × duty + idle W × (1 − duty)) × hours/day × days/year ÷ 1,000cost = kWh × unit price
363.5 kWh per year costs €109.05 at €0.3 per kWh.
Tip: A fridge energy label is more useful than its maximum wattage. A plug-in energy meter can capture compressor cycling and defrost over several days.
Choose the best input for your appliance
Use annual kWh from the energy label when you have it. Multiply by your electricity unit rate to find the annual energy charge. A fridge rated at 363.5 kWh/year costs €109.05 at €0.30/kWh. Its compressor does not draw its rated power all day.
The fridge example comes from the US Department of Energy’s December 2023 comparison for an 18.1 ft³ top-freezer refrigerator with automatic defrost. It is not a universal fridge average. The heater, television and router buttons are transparent power scenarios for you to edit, not claims about every appliance of that type.
Energy label or measurement
Annual cost = annual kWh × price per kWh
The energy label includes a standard test cycle. Your kitchen temperature and usage can differ. For a plug-in meter, record several complete days, including defrost cycles. Multiply measured kWh by 365 divided by the measured days only if those days represent the year.
Power and duty cycle
Average W = running W × duty + idle W × (1 − duty)
Duty is the fraction of the connected hours spent running. At 120 W and 35% duty with no idle draw, the average is 42 W. Connected all year, that is 367.92 kWh. A variable-speed compressor can draw several different powers, so measured energy is preferable.
Seasonal use
Annual kWh = average W × hours per day × days per year ÷ 1,000
A 2,000 W heater at 50% duty for four hours on 120 days uses 480 kWh. Set days to the actual heating season. Energy used outside the entered connected hours is excluded.
Price benchmarks
Cost = kWh × your unit rate
The location buttons use Eurostat household prices for July to December 2025, published on 5 May 2026. These tax-inclusive statistical averages are context, not current supplier offers. Your bill’s variable unit rate gives a better estimate of the cost you can avoid by using less. Do not add a household standing charge to every appliance.
Appliance energy and running cost examples
A heater used through winter
The average connected power is 1,000 W. Four hours on 120 days uses 480 kWh and costs €144.00.
Annual running cost €144.00 /year Open in the calculator
Questions about Appliance energy and running cost
Why not multiply my fridge wattage by 8,760 hours?
That assumes the compressor runs at that wattage all year. Most fridges cycle or vary their power. The energy label or a representative meter reading includes these changes. The starting surge matters for an inverter but is not the annual energy use.
Does changing currency convert the price?
No. Select the currency and enter a rate in that currency. The location buttons set both the EUR currency and the published benchmark.
Can I use this for a washing machine?
Use the energy label’s kWh per 100 cycles, divide by 100 and multiply by the cycles you run per year. Enter that result as annual kWh. The motor or heater rating alone is a poor estimate of a whole wash programme.
Does standby power count?
In power mode, power between cycles applies during the entered connected hours when the appliance is not running. Consumption outside those hours is excluded. For a separate always-on standby estimate, set connected hours to 24 and enter the measured standby watts.
Limits of this result
- The refrigerator example is a specific DOE comparison, not an average of all fridges. The power examples are editable scenarios, not measured typical values.
- Country presets are household statistical benchmarks for July to December 2025, including taxes. They are not current supplier unit rates or exact marginal savings. Use the unit price on your bill for an appliance estimate.
- Room temperature, loading, defrost, age and settings affect actual consumption. This estimate does not add standing charges, time-of-use pricing or demand charges.