Worldwide
Electricity cost calculator
An electricity bill is easier to plan for once you can see what drives it.
Enter the price per kWh and the standing charge in your own currency, taken from a recent bill.
It comes in two parts. The first is the energy you actually use, charged for every kilowatt-hour that passes through your meter. The second is the standing charge, a fixed daily fee for being connected to the network, which you pay whether or not you switch anything on. This tool adds the two together so you can estimate a bill before it lands. Enter the units used over a period in kilowatt-hours, the price you pay per unit, the daily standing charge, and the number of days the bill covers, and it returns the energy cost, the standing charge, the combined total, and the average cost per day. A kilowatt-hour, the unit on every electricity bill, is the energy a 1,000-watt appliance draws in one hour, or a 100-watt one over ten hours. Your meter counts these units, and your bill or in-home display shows both the units used and the rate you pay for them. The figures you enter come straight from a recent statement, so the estimate reflects your own tariff rather than a national average. People reach for this when a bill looks higher than expected, when comparing one supplier offer against another, when working out the running cost of a home office or a workshop, or when splitting shared energy costs in a flat. The unit rate and the standing charge both move with the wholesale market, the region you live in and the tariff you are on, so the result is a close estimate rather than a fixed promise.
How it works
- Enter the electricity used over the period in kilowatt-hours, taken from your bill or smart meter.
- Enter the price you pay per kilowatt-hour, in your own currency, from the same bill.
- Enter the daily standing charge, the fixed fee for being connected each day.
- Set how many days the bill covers, often around 30 for a month or 90 for a quarter.
- The tool multiplies units by rate for the energy cost, adds the standing charge across the days, and shows the total and the cost per day.
total = (units x unit rate) + (standing charge x days)
The bill has a variable part and a fixed part. The variable part is the units used multiplied by the price per kilowatt-hour, so it rises and falls directly with how much electricity you draw. The fixed part is the daily standing charge multiplied by the number of days in the period, which does not change with usage. Adding the two gives the total, and dividing the total by the days gives the average daily cost, a handy figure for budgeting or for splitting a shared bill.
- units
- electricity used over the period, in kilowatt-hours
- unit rate
- price charged per kilowatt-hour
- standing charge
- fixed fee for each day connected
- days
- length of the billing period
Roughly how much electricity homes use
| Small flat, one or two people | about 1,500 to 2,000 kWh a year | low heating use, gas or none |
| Mid-size home, family of three or four | about 2,700 to 3,500 kWh a year | a common middle |
| Larger home, higher use | about 4,000 to 5,000 kWh a year | more rooms and appliances |
| All-electric home with a heat pump | often 5,000 kWh or more | heating runs on electricity too |
Worked example
A home uses 300 kWh in a 30-day month, the unit rate is 0.25 and the standing charge is 0.50 a day: the energy comes to 75 (300 times 0.25), the standing charge adds 15 (0.50 across 30 days), and the bill totals 90, or about 3.00 a day. Cut usage to 200 kWh and the energy falls to 50 while the standing charge stays at 15, so the total drops to 65. The standing charge is the part you cannot trim by using less, which is why low-use homes sometimes feel the daily fee is a large slice of a small bill.
Key facts
- A bill is the energy you use plus a fixed daily standing charge you pay regardless.
- A kilowatt-hour is one kilowatt of power for one hour, the unit your meter counts.
- Using less cuts the energy part of the bill but never the standing charge.
- Unit rates and standing charges vary by supplier, region and tariff, so use your own figures.
Tips
- Read your meter or display at the start and end of a period to get the exact units, rather than estimating.
- Compare offers on both numbers, since a low unit rate paired with a high standing charge can still cost more.
- For a quarterly bill, set the days to about 90 so the standing charge is counted for the whole period.
- If a bill looks wrong, check whether the reading was estimated rather than actual, a common cause of surprises.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I find my unit rate and standing charge?+
Both are printed on your electricity bill, usually near the usage summary, and a smart meter in-home display shows them too. The unit rate is the price per kilowatt-hour and the standing charge is the daily fee. Enter them in your own currency; the tool does not assume any country or tariff.
What is a kilowatt-hour?+
It is the standard unit of energy on a bill: one kilowatt of power used for one hour. A 2,000-watt heater on for one hour uses 2 kWh, and a 50-watt bulb left on for 20 hours also uses 1 kWh. Your meter counts these units, which is what the unit rate is charged against.
Why is the standing charge there even when I use nothing?+
It covers the fixed cost of keeping you connected to the network: the meter, the wires and the supplier admin. Because it is a daily fee, an empty flat or a holiday home still runs up a bill from the standing charge alone, even with everything switched off at the wall.
How do I work out usage for a single appliance instead?+
Use the appliance running cost tool, which starts from a device wattage and the hours you run it. This electricity bill tool starts from the total units your whole meter records, so it suits a whole-home bill rather than one gadget.
Does a time-of-use or off-peak tariff change this?+
Yes. If your rate differs by time of day, the single unit rate here is an average and will not capture cheaper night units exactly. For a rough monthly figure it is fine; for a precise split, run the day and night units separately at their own rates and add the results.
Will the estimate match my real bill exactly?+
Rarely to the last unit. Usage swings with the weather, the season and how many people are home, and some suppliers add or remove small charges, credits or discounts. Treat the figure as a solid estimate to plan around, not an invoice.
Things to watch
- This is an estimate; real usage moves with the weather, the season and how many people are home.
- A single average unit rate will not capture a time-of-use tariff with different day and night prices.
- Suppliers can add charges, credits or discounts that this simple sum does not include.
Last updated: 2026
This is an estimate for general guidance, not financial, tax, legal or medical advice. Figures can change and individual circumstances vary. Always confirm with an official source before making decisions.
Built and maintained by Vikas Dulgunde. Editorial standards.