How much does an electric shower cost to run?

Figures on this page are calculated from typical appliance wattages and the price per kWh you enter, not looked up from a bill. See how we calculate this.

What an electric shower costs to run: typical 8500 W, about $151 a year. Adjust the figures to your own usage and electricity price.

Wattage and running cost

Based on 0.27 h a day at $0.18/kWh, the US average. Change the hours and the price in the calculator above.

An electric shower is one of the most powerful appliances in the whole home, drawing 7,000 to 10,800 watts — several times a kettle — because it heats water instantly as it flows rather than storing it. That enormous wattage sounds frightening, but a shower lasts only minutes, so the cost per shower is moderate. It is the combination of very high power and daily use across a household that makes it worth understanding.

Because the power is fixed by the unit and the water it heats, the only real lever is time: a shorter shower directly and proportionally cuts the cost. A 9,000 W shower uses 0.15 kWh per minute, so trimming a ten-minute shower to five halves its cost. For a household of several people showering daily, those minutes add up to a real yearly figure. Enter your shower's power (on its rating plate, often in kW) and the total daily shower time above to see the cost, and compare a long shower against a short one.

It is worth knowing that an electric shower and a stored-tank hot-water system solve the same problem in different ways: the shower heats on demand with huge instantaneous power but no standing losses, while a tank stores heat and loses some of it while waiting. Which is cheaper for you depends on your usage pattern and tariff far more than on the headline wattage.

Many electric showers have a winter/summer power selector, letting you drop to a lower setting when the incoming cold water is already warmer in summer and needs less heating to reach a comfortable temperature. Left on the winter (highest) setting year-round, the unit works harder than it needs to for months at a time — checking that switch each season is a free adjustment that directly reduces the wattage the calculator above should use.

What an electric shower costs in other countries

The figures above assume $0.18/kWh, the US average. An electric shower does not change when it crosses a border — the price of the electricity it drinks does. Here is what its 838 kWh a year cost in the 14 countries with a page here, dearest first.

Each figure is in that country's own currency at its average all-taxes-included price; the dollar column is there so they can be set against each other. Ireland to Canada is a factor of 3.8 — same appliance, same hours, 3.8 times the bill. Follow a country for its real retailer tariffs and what makes up that price, or see the full electricity price comparison by country.

How to cut electric shower running costs

• Shorter showers are the direct saving — the power is fixed, so time is everything.
• A lower flow or eco setting heats less water per minute and cuts the cost.
• A shower timer or a favourite short playlist helps keep showers brief.
• Fix a dripping or slow shower so you're not running it longer than needed.
• Avoid running the shower at the same time as other very high-power appliances.

Frequently asked questions