How much does a toaster cost to run?
$0.61 a month
- A day of use
- $0.02
- An hour of running
- $0.20
- A year
- $7.36
1,100 W, 6 minutes a day, at the US average of 18.3¢ per kWh (EIA, June 2026). How we calculate this
Change the watts, hours or rate
What it costs at other usage levels
| Use | A day | A month | A year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 minutes a day typical | $0.02 | $0.61 | $7.36 |
| 1 hour a day | $0.20 | $6.14 | $73.64 |
| 2 hours a day | $0.40 | $12.27 | $147.27 |
| 4 hours a day | $0.81 | $24.55 | $294.54 |
| 8 hours a day | $1.61 | $49.09 | $589.08 |
| 24 hours a day | $4.84 | $147.27 | $1,767.24 |
Models range from 800 W to 1,400 W (Virginia Cooperative Extension). We use 1,100 W, the middle of that range.
Ways to spend less
- Toast in a toaster, not the oven or toaster oven; it heats only the bread.
- Empty the crumb tray; built-up crumbs slow it down.
- Toast both slices at once.
What a toaster costs to run in every state
| Rank | State | Rate | A month | A year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | 13.1¢ | $0.44 | $5.26 |
| 2 | Nebraska | 13.3¢ | $0.44 | $5.32 |
| 3 | Utah | 13.4¢ | $0.45 | $5.37 |
| 4 | Louisiana | 13.5¢ | $0.45 | $5.42 |
| 5 | Tennessee | 14.1¢ | $0.47 | $5.65 |
| 6 | Arkansas | 14.1¢ | $0.47 | $5.67 |
| 7 | North Dakota | 14.1¢ | $0.47 | $5.67 |
| 8 | Kentucky | 14.3¢ | $0.48 | $5.73 |
| 9 | Oklahoma | 14.3¢ | $0.48 | $5.75 |
| 10 | Idaho | 14.4¢ | $0.48 | $5.77 |
| 11 | North Carolina | 14.7¢ | $0.49 | $5.92 |
| 12 | Mississippi | 14.9¢ | $0.50 | $5.97 |
| 13 | Washington | 14.9¢ | $0.50 | $5.99 |
| 14 | New Mexico | 15.1¢ | $0.50 | $6.05 |
| 15 | Florida | 15.1¢ | $0.51 | $6.06 |
| 16 | Montana | 15.1¢ | $0.51 | $6.08 |
| 17 | Arizona | 15.2¢ | $0.51 | $6.09 |
| 18 | Wyoming | 15.2¢ | $0.51 | $6.12 |
| 19 | South Dakota | 15.4¢ | $0.51 | $6.17 |
| 20 | West Virginia | 15.5¢ | $0.52 | $6.20 |
| 21 | South Carolina | 15.6¢ | $0.52 | $6.24 |
| 22 | Kansas | 15.7¢ | $0.53 | $6.31 |
| 23 | Iowa | 15.9¢ | $0.53 | $6.40 |
| 24 | Texas | 15.9¢ | $0.53 | $6.40 |
| 25 | Missouri | 16.2¢ | $0.54 | $6.51 |
| 26 | Oregon | 16.3¢ | $0.55 | $6.55 |
| 27 | Georgia | 16.4¢ | $0.55 | $6.57 |
| 28 | Alabama | 16.4¢ | $0.55 | $6.58 |
| 29 | Colorado | 17.1¢ | $0.57 | $6.88 |
| 30 | Virginia | 17.2¢ | $0.58 | $6.91 |
| 31 | Indiana | 17.5¢ | $0.59 | $7.03 |
| 32 | Minnesota | 17.5¢ | $0.59 | $7.03 |
| 33 | Ohio | 19.2¢ | $0.64 | $7.70 |
| 34 | Delaware | 19.3¢ | $0.65 | $7.74 |
| 35 | Wisconsin | 19.6¢ | $0.65 | $7.85 |
| 36 | Illinois | 19.9¢ | $0.67 | $7.99 |
| 37 | Pennsylvania | 21.7¢ | $0.73 | $8.72 |
| 38 | Maryland | 21.8¢ | $0.73 | $8.77 |
| 39 | Michigan | 23.0¢ | $0.77 | $9.23 |
| 40 | Connecticut | 24.3¢ | $0.81 | $9.76 |
| 41 | District of Columbia | 24.4¢ | $0.82 | $9.79 |
| 42 | Vermont | 24.4¢ | $0.82 | $9.81 |
| 43 | New Jersey | 25.0¢ | $0.83 | $10.02 |
| 44 | New Hampshire | 27.0¢ | $0.90 | $10.84 |
| 45 | Alaska | 28.2¢ | $0.94 | $11.33 |
| 46 | Rhode Island | 29.2¢ | $0.98 | $11.74 |
| 47 | New York | 29.5¢ | $0.99 | $11.84 |
| 48 | Maine | 29.6¢ | $0.99 | $11.88 |
| 49 | Massachusetts | 29.6¢ | $0.99 | $11.89 |
| 50 | California | 34.7¢ | $1.16 | $13.95 |
| 51 | Hawaii | 52.7¢ | $1.76 | $21.17 |
Questions
How much does it cost to run a toaster per hour?
About $0.20 an hour. A toaster at 1,100 W uses 1.10 kWh per hour, and at the US average of 18.3¢ per kWh that comes to $0.20.
How much does a toaster add to your electric bill?
Used 6 minutes a day, about $0.61 a month, or $7.36 a year.
How much does it cost to run a toaster 24 hours a day?
Running nonstop, a toaster would use 26.4 kWh a day and cost $4.84 a day, or $147.27 over an average month.
How many watts does a toaster use?
Models range from 800 W to 1,400 W (Virginia Cooperative Extension). We use 1,100 W, the middle of that range. Check the label on yours: cost scales directly with watts, so a 20% lower wattage means a 20% lower bill.
Which state is cheapest to run a toaster in?
Nevada, at 13.1¢ per kWh: $0.44 a month. The most expensive is Hawaii at 52.7¢ per kWh: $1.76 a month. Same appliance, same hours; only the rate differs.
Sources
- Virginia Cooperative Extension: Estimating appliance and home electronic energy use (reproduces U.S. Department of Energy sample wattages)
- Penn State EGEE 102: Typical range of power consumption (wattage)
- U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A: average price of electricity to ultimate customers, residential, June 2026 Figures transcribed from republications of this table on September 26, 2026; pending direct verification from the EIA API.
Usage assumptions (hours a day, season) are ours and listed on the methodology page. Found an error? Tell us.