Appliance cost checker tool
Our appliance cost checker is designed for Northern Ireland electricity consumers. It will help you estimate the running costs of your appliances and will provide tips on how you can save money on your electricity bills and improve energy efficiency.
You can use this calculator to:
- get an estimate of how much electrical appliances cost to run per day, per week and per year (the default setting will calculate your usage as daily unless specified otherwise)
- compare energy costs for different appliances
The appliance checker costs use the current regulated Power NI unit rate of 29.730p so the cost may increase or decrease depending on your supplier and tariff, and your appliance power rating (watts). Data supplied for the Centre for Sustainable energy calculates the cost.
The most common household appliances are listed in alphabetical order below.
You will need to select each appliance that you would regularly use.
For large goods like washing machines, you also have the option of selecting use per week as you may use a washing machine two or three times per week.
How to use the appliance checker
- Add the appliance: select the appliance you want to include.
- Estimate usage time: for each appliance, estimate how long you use it or leave it on stand-by. (Stand-by mode is when an appliance has been left on but is not in use.) Simply swipe or slide the scale to set the number of hours the appliance is used for.
- Lighting options: when adding light bulbs, choose between LED or halogen bulbs and estimate how many hours your lights are on.
- Size variations: choose small, medium, or large for appliances that come in different sizes.
- Save and edit: once you've added an appliance and its usage time, it will be saved in your report. You have the option to delete an appliance if you change your mind.
How we calculate the costs
Every appliance has a power rating in watts (W) or kilowatts (kW) (1000W = 1kW). This tells you how much electricity it needs to work.
The electricity an appliance uses depends on its power rating and on how long it's turned on. For example:
- Fridge: It has a low wattage but is always on, so it uses a lot of electricity over time.
- Hairdryer: It has a high wattage but is used for short periods, so it also uses a lot of electricity.
Disclaimer
It’s harder to work out exact costs for some appliances. For example, ovens and air fryers use more energy in the preheating stage, then turn themselves on and off to stay at the right temperature. So the figures presented are an indication and are not the precise amount.
The actual cost can also depend on things like your appliance’s size or the type of technology it uses.
You can also check your appliance's manual or energy label to help estimate its energy use.