CalgaryElectricians
Request a quote
A two-storey family home at winter dusk with snow on the lawn, its windows and porch lights coming on room by room

Calculator · Drawing E-504

Appliance running cost calculator

What a heater, block heater, hot tub, charger or any appliance costs to run per day, month and year, from its wattage, the hours it runs and your price per kWh.

Appliance running cost · E-504Metric
W
From the nameplate. A 1.5 kW heater is 1,500 W.
h
days
¢/kWh
Default: the ENMAX Rate of Last Resort energy rate. Use the energy rate on your own bill.
—

Get this quoted →

Energy charge only; delivery charges and fees are extra.

CCT 01How it works

kWh per day = watts × hours ÷ 1,000, and cost = kWh × price. Monthly figures use the days you enter; yearly figures are twelve of those months.

The default price is the Rate of Last Resort energy rate for ENMAX customers in Calgary: 12.06 ¢/kWh, fixed through 20261. The Regulated Rate Option it replaced no longer exists2. If you have a retail contract, use the energy rate from your bill.

CCT 02Assumptions and limits

  • This is the energy charge only. Delivery charges (distribution and transmission), administration fees and riders are billed on top and are not included, so your bill per kWh is higher than this rate.
  • Heaters and appliances with thermostats cycle on and off. Enter the hours they actually run, not the hours they are switched on.

Questions people ask

How much does it cost to run a block heater in Calgary?

Multiply the block heater’s wattage (on the cord or in the manual) by the hours it is plugged in, then by your energy rate. A timer that starts it a few hours before you leave cuts the hours, and therefore the cost, directly. See winter electrical in Calgary.

How do I find an appliance’s wattage?

Read the nameplate or the manual. If it lists volts and amps, watts are about volts × amps for resistive loads such as heaters.

Why is my bill higher than this?

Because delivery charges and fees are added on top of the energy charge. Use this calculator to compare appliances and habits, not to predict the whole bill.

Sources

  1. Utilities Consumer Advocate: Default ratesGovernment of Alberta (Utilities Consumer Advocate) · Fixed 2025-01-01 to 2026-12-31; page read 2026-09-25
  2. Utilities Consumer Advocate: Rate of Last ResortGovernment of Alberta (Utilities Consumer Advocate) · Effective 2025-01-01; page read 2026-09-25