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What is it actually costing you?

Independent UK guides to what your home costs to run — appliance by appliance, in pounds, at the current price cap. Every figure shows the rate and the date it was worked out.

Common questions

Why has my bill gone up when nothing changed? Energy Bills & Tariffs What is my tumble dryer actually costing me? Appliance Running Costs Is it cheaper to leave the heating on low? Heating & Boilers There is black mould on my bedroom wall Insulation & Damp My smart meter reading looks wrong Energy Bills & Tariffs Will solar panels ever pay for themselves here? Solar & Home Batteries The boiler pressure keeps dropping Heating & Boilers What does a full EV charge cost at home? EV Charging at Home Which room is losing the most heat? Insulation & Damp
Appliance Running Costs 4 guides Heating & Boilers 6 guides Insulation & Damp 7 guides Energy Bills & Tariffs 6 guides Solar & Home Batteries 6 guides EV Charging at Home 6 guides

Not sure what to ask yet?

Three places to start. The first one is the arithmetic every figure on this site is built from — read it once and you can check anything here yourself.

01

How a running cost is worked out

Wattage ÷ 1,000 × hours × unit rate. One line of arithmetic, a worked example, and where the rate comes from.

 02

Find your appliance

Where the wattage label hides on a dryer, a heater, a kettle and a fridge — and every appliance guide published so far.

 03

Find where the heat is going

Loft, walls, floor and draughts, compared on payback period rather than on the promises in the leaflet.
The table

What everything costs to run

Fifteen of the appliances people most often underestimate, worked out at the current cap. Every row links to the full guide, with the assumptions stated.

Appliance Power Typical use Per hour Per year
Immersion heater 3,000 W 1.5 h a day 73.5p £402
Electric fan heater 3,000 W 4 h a day, 90 days 73.5p £265
Electric shower 8,500 W 2 × 8 min a day £2.08 £202
Tumble dryer, vented 2,500 W 3 loads a week 61.3p £143
Electric oven, fan 2,100 W 5 h a week 51.5p £134
Oil-filled radiator 2,000 W 4 h a day, 120 days 49.0p £118
Gaming PC 400 W 3 h a day 9.8p £107
Dehumidifier 300 W 8 h a day, 180 days 7.4p £106
Halogen heater 1,200 W 4 h a day, 90 days 29.4p £106
Fridge freezer 34 W average continuous 0.8p £74
Dishwasher 1,200 W 5 eco cycles a week 29.4p £67
Air fryer 1,500 W 30 min a day 36.8p £67
Kettle 3,000 W 5 boils a day 73.5p £67
Washing machine 700 W 4 cycles a week 17.2p £36
Broadband router 10 W continuous 0.2p £21

Calculated at 24.5p per kWh — the July 2026 cap unit rate for a standard variable tariff paid by direct debit. The standing charge is separate and does not change with use.

Before the clocks change

Six things worth doing before the heating goes on

Bleeding radiators, setting the timer properly and blocking the three biggest draughts costs nothing and takes an afternoon. Done in October it saves a whole heating season, not part of one.

Read the guide

Latest guides

Before you trust a figure

How this site works

How we calculate

The formula, the unit rate it uses, the date it was checked, and what is assumed about usage hours.

Who writes here

One named writer, a stated background, and a plain account of what this site refuses to cover.

How we make money

Guest placements and affiliate links, both labelled. Neither one changes a calculated figure.

The six areas

Appliance Running Costs

Guides in this area are being written now.

Heating & Boilers

Guides in this area are being written now.

Insulation & Damp

Guides in this area are being written now.

Energy Bills & Tariffs

Guides in this area are being written now.

Solar & Home Batteries

Guides in this area are being written now.

EV Charging at Home

Guides in this area are being written now.

Independent UK guides to what your home actually costs to run. Every figure calculated at the current price cap, with the rate and the date stated.

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