How much does a microwave 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 a microwave costs to run: typical 1200 W, about $10 a year. Adjust the figures to your own usage and electricity price.

Wattage and running cost

Based on 0.13 h a day at $0.18/kWh, the US average. Change the hours and the price in the calculator above.

A microwave is one of the most efficient ways to heat food because it puts energy straight into the food rather than warming a large air space or a heavy metal cavity first. Its input power is usually higher than its advertised cooking power — a microwave labelled 800 W of cooking output typically draws around 1,200 W from the socket — but it runs for only a few minutes at a time, so the cost per use is tiny. Enter a realistic daily total (a quarter of an hour a day is generous for most homes) and your price to see the yearly figure.

The real energy story of a microwave is what it replaces. Reheating a plate or boiling a mug of water in the microwave uses a fraction of the energy an oven or hob would for the same task, because there is almost no wasted heat. The one cost worth noticing is standby: a microwave with a clock and display draws a small amount around the clock, and over a year that standby can rival the energy used for actual cooking in a lightly used unit.

A worked example makes the scale clear: reheating a plate for 3 minutes at 1,200 W draws 0.06 kWh — a tiny fraction of a cent's worth at typical prices. Even a household reheating something daily spends only a small amount a year on the actual cooking; if a microwave's yearly figure here looks higher than that, the always-on clock and display standby, not the cooking, is almost certainly why.

What a microwave costs in other countries

The figures above assume $0.18/kWh, the US average. A microwave does not change when it crosses a border — the price of the electricity it drinks does. Here is what its 57 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 microwave running costs

• Reheat and defrost in the microwave rather than the oven — it uses far less energy.
• Boil just a mug of water in the microwave when the kettle would heat more than you need.
• Cover food so it heats faster and you run the microwave for less time.
• Unplug a rarely used microwave, or put it on a switched strip, to kill clock standby.
• Match the power level and time to the food instead of blasting everything on full.

Frequently asked questions