Data & method
Two federal datasets, one multiplication, no estimates.
Energy use
Annual kilowatt-hour figures come from the US EPA's ENERGY STAR certified product data, published as open data at data.energystar.gov under the EPA Data License. These are certified test results submitted by manufacturers, not estimates.
Only categories where the EPA publishes a genuine annual kWh figure are included. Several categories — ceiling fans, televisions, monitors, pool pumps — publish efficiency ratios or spot wattage instead. Those could be converted into an annual figure by assuming how many hours a day you use them, which is precisely the guesswork this site exists to avoid, so they are left out rather than faked. That is why you will not find a television here.
Electricity prices
Prices are the average revenue per kilowatt-hour for residential customers by state, from the US EIA's Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A — a work of the US federal government and in the public domain. Retrieved 2026-07-28.
These prices move. The EIA republishes them monthly, and this site is rebuilt against the current table. If the date above is more than a couple of months old, treat the dollar figures as indicative and the kWh figures as still exact.
The calculation
Annual cost = certified kWh per year × state price in cents ÷ 100
That is the whole model. The "typical" figure for each category is the median of all certified models, not the mean — a handful of very large commercial-scale units would otherwise drag the typical figure upwards.
What these numbers cannot tell you
- They assume the certified usage pattern. The EPA's annual figure is based on a standard test cycle. Run a dehumidifier round the clock in a wet basement and you will beat it comfortably.
- Your tariff is not the state average. Time-of-use rates, fixed charges, and utility-by-utility variation all move the real cost. The state average is a reasonable planning figure, not your bill.
- Only certified models are listed. Every model here has passed ENERGY STAR certification. An old non-certified appliance frequently uses far more than the worst figure shown.
- Running cost is not total cost. Purchase price, capacity, repair record and how long it lasts all matter, and none of them are here.
Estimates for comparison only. Your actual bill depends on your tariff, how often you run the appliance, and local conditions.
Corrections
If a figure disagrees with the EPA or EIA source, the source is right. Send the page URL and it gets fixed.