Appliance running costs

Cost to run an electric oven

An electric oven does not draw its rated power continuously in most homes. This page applies that behaviour — thermostatic operation at 35% duty — and shows every step of the arithmetic.

How much does a 2,400 W electric oven cost to run?

A 2,400 W electric oven switched on 1 hours per day at 35% duty cycle uses 0.909 kWh of electricity per day. At $0.180/kWh that is $0.16 per day, about $4.98 per average month and $59.76 per year — 332 kWh over the year. Those figures assume a typical wattage and a typical usage pattern; change any input below to match your own appliance and tariff.

Your inputs

Typical example — replace this 2,400 W default with your appliance’s actual rating for a better estimate.

A thermostat cuts this appliance out once at temperature — typical range around 35%.

Applies only to the 23 h a day the appliance is switched off, not to the idle part of the duty cycle.

Use the total variable rate from your bill, including delivery charges per kWh.

Scenario: hours per day

$4.98

per month (30.44-day average month)

0.909 kWh per day at 2,400 W

Estimate using typical assumptions
Per day
$0.16
kWh / month
28
kWh / year
332
Per year
$59.76

Average power across 24 hours

38 W

Daily energy spread evenly over 24 hours. Includes standby draw during switched-off hours when entered.

Cost per running hour

$0.151

While the appliance is actually drawing power.

Effective duty cycle

35%

Share of switched-on time at rated power.

Method

  1. 2,400 W = 2.4 kW
  2. 2.4 kW × 1 h/day × 35% duty = 0.84 kWh/day active
  3. 3 W standby × 23 h/day off = 0.069 kWh/day standby
  4. 0.84 + 0.069 = 0.909 kWh/day total
  5. 0.909 kWh × 0.18 USD/kWh = 0.164 USD/day
  6. 0.164 × 30.436875 days = 4.98 USD/month
  7. 0.909 kWh × 365.2425 days = 332.005 kWh/year
  8. 332.005 kWh × 0.18 USD/kWh = 59.761 USD/year

Monthly figures use a 30.44-day average month, 365.24-day average year.

Assumptions

  • Electricity rate of 0.18 USD/kWh (editable).
  • Calculations use a year of 365.2425 days and an average month of 365.2425 ÷ 12 = 30.436875 days, so twelve average months equal one year exactly. Displayed values are rounded to 365.24 and 30.44 days, and the rounded figures do not multiply out exactly.
  • Duty cycle of 35% — the appliance draws rated power for that share of the time it is switched on.
  • 3 W standby draw for the 23 hours a day the appliance is switched off. Standby applies only outside the switched-on hours, not to the idle part of the duty cycle, and is included in every kWh and cost figure below.
  • Rated power is treated as real power in watts, not volt-amps.

What can change the result?

  • Preheat time relative to total cooking time
  • Oven insulation and door seal
  • Set temperature and how often the door is opened
  • Self-clean cycles, which are high-power and long

$4.98/mo · 28 kWh/mo

How a electric oven actually draws power

An electric oven draws close to full rated power during preheat, then cycles its elements to hold temperature. Once at temperature the average draw is often only a third of the rating, because the thermostat only re-energises the element as heat escapes. That means a one-hour bake does not use one hour of rated power.

The duty cycle below combines the full-power preheat with the lower-power hold. For short bakes the preheat dominates and the effective duty cycle is higher; for long roasts it is lower. Self-clean cycles are the exception — they run at high power for hours and can cost more than a week of normal baking.

Cost at different usage patterns

All rows use 2,400 W at 35% duty and $0.180/kWh. Only the hours change.

Generated by the same energy engine that powers the calculator above.
Hours per daykWh per dayPer dayPer monthPer year
1 h/day0.909 kWh$0.16$4.98$59.76
2 h/day1.75 kWh$0.31$9.57$114.79

Cost across the typical wattage range

Units in this category typically range from 1,800 W to 5,000 W. All rows use 1 h/day at 35% duty.

Source for the range: Element ratings of household electric ovens, excluding cooktop elements (2026-01).
Power ratingkWh per dayPer dayPer monthPer year
1,800 W0.699 kWh$0.13$3.83$45.95
2,400 W0.909 kWh$0.16$4.98$59.76
5,000 W1.82 kWh$0.33$9.97$119.59

Worth knowing

Cooktop elements are separate loads with their own ratings.

Worth knowing

Combined oven-and-cooktop nameplate ratings overstate oven-only consumption significantly.

Your next decision

Your next decision

Other appliance running costs

Electricity cost tools

Defaults on this page come from the published default registry and the formulas are documented in the methodology.