What common appliances cost to run
Typical power for each kind of appliance, at the Oct to Dec 2026 price cap of 26.32p per kWh. Your own model may draw more or less, so check its label and put that figure in the calculator.
| Appliance | Typical power | Per hour | Per month, 4 hours a day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dehumidifier, compressor (10 to 12L) | 180W | 4.7p | £5.76 |
| Dehumidifier, compressor (20L) | 330W | 8.7p | £10.56 |
| Dehumidifier, desiccant | 600W | 16p | £19.20 |
| Heated airer | 250W | 6.6p | £8.00 |
| Electric blanket, double | 100W | 2.6p | £3.20 |
| Heated throw | 120W | 3.2p | £3.84 |
| Oil-filled radiator, 1.5kW | 1.5kW | 39p | £48.01 |
| Oil-filled radiator, 2.5kW | 2.5kW | 66p | £80.01 |
| Fan heater, 2kW | 2kW | 53p | £64.01 |
| Halogen heater, 1.2kW | 1.2kW | 32p | £38.41 |
| Desk fan | 25W | 0.7p | 80p |
| Tower fan | 40W | 1.1p | £1.28 |
| Pedestal fan | 45W | 1.2p | £1.44 |
| Evaporative air cooler | 65W | 1.7p | £2.08 |
| Portable air conditioner, 9,000 BTU | 1kW | 26p | £32.01 |
| Extractor fan | 10W | 0.3p | 32p |
How to work it out yourself
Electricity is charged per kilowatt-hour (kWh): using 1,000 watts for one hour. So the cost of running anything is its power in kilowatts, times the hours it runs, times your price per kWh.
A 160W dehumidifier is 0.16kW. At the Oct to Dec 2026 price cap of 26.32p per kWh it costs 4.2p an hour, and £7.68 a month if it runs six hours a day.
Why the real figure is often lower
The power on the label is the most an appliance draws. Anything with a thermostat or humidistat cycles on and off once the room reaches the setting, so over an evening it may only run at full power for part of the time. Use the "full power" box to allow for that if you know roughly how often yours cuts out.
The standing charge, the fixed daily fee on your bill, isn't included. You pay it whatever you switch on, so it doesn't change the cost of running one more appliance.
Typical power of common appliances
Our running cost tables list the rated power of each model: dehumidifiers, heated airers, electric blankets and throws and electric heaters.