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How Much Does It Cost to Run a Microwave? $0.20/Hour, $1.53/Month

Running a microwave at 1,200 watts for 0.25 hours a day costs about $0.05 a day and $1.53 a month at 17¢/kWh, the EIA 2025 annual US average (July 2026 monthly: 18.31¢) — roughly $19 a year.

1,200 W (700–1,500 W)Typical power draw
0.25 h/day, 30 days/monthAssumed use
0.30 kWhEnergy per day

· Source: EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A (July 2026 data) · next EIA update ~Oct 23

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a microwave: energy cost only (1,200 W ÷ 1,000 × hours × rate); fixed fees and taxes extra.
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## How much does it cost to run a microwave?

The same a microwave at 0.25 hours a day costs $1.08 a month at 12¢ and $4.05 at 45¢ — usage held constant, only the rate moving:

Table 1: How Much Does It Cost to Run a Microwave? $0.20/Hour, $1.53/Month
Electricity rate Per hour Per day Per month Per year
12¢/kWh $0.144 $0.04 $1.08 $13
15¢/kWh $0.180 $0.04 $1.35 $16
17¢/kWh (US avg) $0.204 $0.05 $1.53 $19
20¢/kWh $0.240 $0.06 $1.80 $22
25¢/kWh $0.300 $0.07 $2.25 $27
30¢/kWh $0.360 $0.09 $2.70 $33
35¢/kWh $0.420 $0.10 $3.15 $38
45¢/kWh $0.540 $0.14 $4.05 $49
Typical power draw
1,200 W (700–1,500 W)
Assumed use
0.25 h/day, 30 days/month
Energy per day
0.30 kWh
Cost per day
$0.05
Cost per month
$1.53
Cost per year
$19

Why this number

Running a microwave at 1,200 watts for 0.25 hours a day costs about $0.05 a day and $1.53 a month at 17¢/kWh, the EIA 2025 annual US average (July 2026 monthly: 18.31¢) — roughly $19 a year. The formula for a microwave: 1,200 W ÷ 1,000 × hours × your rate per kWh. For a microwave your own rate changes the answer: at 12¢/kWh that month costs $1.08, at 45¢/kWh it costs $4.05.

A microwave rated at 1,200 watts, run 0.25 hours a day, costs about $0.05 a day — about $1.53 a month, or $19 a year — at the US average electricity rate of 17¢/kWh. That places it 35th of the 40 appliances tracked here, near the bottom. It is not where a high bill comes from, and switching it off will not rescue one.

What actually drives this number

Microwaves look power-hungry and are not, simply because they run for minutes. Reheating in the microwave rather than the oven is one of the few genuinely large percentage savings in a kitchen.

At 1,200 W every hour of this load costs about $0.20, and no more efficient unit exists to buy — resistance heat is resistance heat at any price point. At this scale the levers are habit-sized, not equipment-sized: its closest heat-category neighbor on a monthly bill is the air fryer at about $1.33, and the electricity cost calculator prices any wattage-and-hours pattern at your own rate.

Where this number comes from

Putting Microwave in proportion

At 17¢/kWh, a microwave next to the rest of the bill:

For a microwave: making heat is where household electricity goes, but how it is made decides the bill. A resistance element — an oven, a dryer, a resistance furnace, a kettle — converts every watt into exactly one watt of heat, so a cheap appliance and an expensive one with the same rating cost the same to run and efficiency is not something you can shop for. Equipment that moves heat instead of making it, like a heat pump, delivers several units of heat per unit of electricity and breaks that rule entirely. The only levers on a resistance load are running it less, running it lower, or heating a smaller space. On this site’s own numbers, a microwave lands at #35 of 40 on the monthly-cost ranking, at about $1.53 for a typical month.

The formula, in full

The 1,200 W arithmetic for a microwave, step by step:

  1. Watts to kilowatts. 1,200 W ÷ 1,000 = 1.20 kW.
  2. Energy per day. 1.20 kW × 0.25 hours = 0.30 kWh.
  3. Cost per day. 0.30 kWh × $0.17 = $0.05.
  4. Cost per month. $0.05 × 30 days = $1.53.

For a microwave the two levers are run-hours (0.25 h/day here) and your rate; used this briefly, even 1,200 W costs little — which is why anything that makes heat dominate the rankings.

Other heating loads: Air fryer ($16/yr), Coffee maker ($22/yr), Hair dryer ($23/yr). Closest on annual cost: Wi-Fi router and modem ($22/yr), Ceiling fan ($11/yr). Across all other heating loads here, the priciest is Electric furnace at $119.34/mo.

The a microwave table above runs a fixed rate ladder (12–45¢); the state quick-fill uses July 2026 averages from EIA Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A .

Put a microwave ($1.53 a month) against everything else in the electricity cost calculator , check your state’s rate , or browse all 40 appliances ; year-round high bills: solar savings calculator .

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to run a microwave per hour?

About $0.204 an hour for a microwave at 17¢/kWh, the EIA 2025 annual US average (July 2026 monthly: 18.31¢), for a 1,200 W unit. The calculation is 1,200 ÷ 1,000 × 1 hour × $0.17 per kWh. At 30¢/kWh the same hour costs $0.360.

How much does a microwave add to my monthly bill?

Roughly $1.53 a month for a microwave at 0.25 hours a day, 30 days a month, 17¢/kWh. That is about $19 a year if you use it that much year-round. For a microwave, change the 0.25-hour default to your own use — run-time moves the total as much as the 1,200 W does.

How many watts does a microwave use?

Typically around 1,200 W, with real units ranging from about 700 to 1,500 W depending on size, model and setting. The nameplate on your own unit is the figure to trust — these are typical values for planning, not a measurement of your appliance.

Why is my actual bill higher than the a microwave figure?

$1.53 a month is the energy cost of a microwave alone; your bill adds fixed connection charges, delivery fees, taxes and every other load. Add the other appliances in the index to a microwave for the controllable part of the bill.

How we calculated this

Worked for a microwave: 1,200 W ÷ 1,000 × 0.25 h × $0.17 = $0.05 a day; × 30 days = $1.53 a month; × 12 months in use = $19 a year. 1,200 W and 0.25 h are the typical figures cited for a microwave; 17¢ is EIA’s 2025 annual US average.

Sources: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) electricity rates · DSIRE incentive records · public IRS/OBBBA guidance. Figures are modeled estimates, not quotes or tax advice. See our methodology.

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