Electricity Bill Calculator
We've created this electricity bill calculator to help you estimate how much you should be expecting to pay for your electricity bill over any set period of time.
This may be because you are moving home and want to work out how much more or less you may have to pay, or maybe you are looking to switch tariffs and see how much you could save on your utility bills.
Whatever your reason, keep reading to see how to use our free electricity bill calculator and find out what you need to know.
Use our referral link, and we'll both get £50 credit once your switch is complete.
Existing customer? Find out how you can benefit too. T&Cs apply (only one switching offer per household)
How to use our electricity bill calculator
You need to start by deciding how many days you want to look at, one day, one week, one year or anything in between.
Next, the energy cost calculator needs to know your daily electricity consumption. This can be worked out from your latest energy bill, or you can use our average estimates below.
The next two pieces of information you will need to get from your utility bill will differ depending on your energy supplier and tariff.
Your unit rate is how much you pay for each unit of electricity, and your standing charge is a fixed amount you pay per day regardless of how much energy is used.
Once you put all these details in, you will automatically see a breakdown of your total unit charge over the period you set, the total cost of your standing charge, and your overall bill for that period of time.
What is a Unit of Electricity?
A unit of electricity refers to one kilowatt-hour (kWh) of energy consumption. A kilowatt-hour means you have used 1,000 watts of electricity for one hour. For example:
Everyday Examples of 1 Unit of Electricity (1 kWh):
- Watching TV (LED): Around 10 hours of viewing (if the TV uses 100 watts per hour).
- Charging a Smartphone: Fully charging your phone about 12 times.
- Boiling a Kettle: Boiling a typical 3kW kettle for 20 minutes.
- Using a Washing Machine: Running a standard 7kg load cycle (depending on the machine's efficiency).
- Microwaving Food: 30 minutes of cooking in an 800-watt microwave.
- Ironing Clothes: Using a clothes iron for 1 hour.
The total units you consume are recorded on your electricity meter and are used to calculate your electricity bill, based on the unit rate charged by your energy provider.
What is a Daily Standing Charge?
A daily standing charge is a fixed cost you pay to your energy supplier every day, regardless of how much electricity you use. It covers the costs associated with maintaining the energy network, including:
- Maintaining energy infrastructure (like power lines and substations)
- Billing and customer services
- Government schemes for zero-carbon energy
The daily standing charge is applied as a set daily rate and is added to your electricity bill alongside the unit rate charges for the electricity you use. Even if you don't use any electricity, you'll still need to pay the daily standing charge.
Average electricity usage per household type (2025)
If you aren't sure of your electricity usage, below we have given you the average monthly usage for various property types in the UK according to Ofgem.
Your usage will vary depending on property age, number of occupants, types of appliances etc.
| Property Type | Average Daily Unit Usage | Average Monthly Unit Usage | Average Annual Unit Usage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Bedroom Flat | 5 | 150 | 1,800 |
| 2 Bedroom House | 6 | 175 | 2,100 |
| 3 Bedroom House | 8 | 250 | 3,000 |
| 4 Bedroom House | 10 | 290 | 3,480 |
| 5 Bedroom House | 12 | 360 | 4,320 |
Note: This is the average monthly usage over 12 months. Usage may be higher in the winter months.
We also have a gas bill calculator and an energy bill calculator available (to calculate a combined gas and electricity bill).
Frequently asked questions
What is a unit of electricity?
A unit of electricity refers to one kilowatt-hour (kWh) of energy consumption. A kilowatt-hour means you have used 1,000 watts of electricity for one hour. For example, boiling a typical 3kW kettle for 20 minutes uses about 1 kWh.
What is a daily standing charge?
A daily standing charge is a fixed cost you pay to your energy supplier every day, regardless of how much electricity you use. It covers costs like maintaining energy infrastructure, billing and government schemes for zero-carbon energy.
How much electricity does a typical UK household use?
A typical 3 bedroom house in the UK uses around 8 kWh of electricity per day, 250 kWh per month, or 3,000 kWh per year according to Ofgem. Usage is typically higher in winter months.
Other calculators
- £Calculator
Gas Bill Calculator
Calculate your gas bill over any time period using your standing charge, unit rate and daily usage.
Open calculator → - £Calculator
Energy Bill Calculator
Calculate your gas and electricity bill over any time period using your standing charge, unit rate and usage.
Open calculator → - £Calculator
Appliance Electricity Cost Calculator
Calculate how much any household appliance costs to run per day, week, month and year.
Open calculator →
Written by
Rob Gibbs
Hi, I'm Rob, and I run Energy-Review.co.uk. I initially started this project in 2018 when I was looking to switch energy suppliers and found there wasn't a website that provided simple, data-backed reviews on all the suppliers available. Since then, I have spent a lot of time (too much, some may say!) looking at all publicly available data about each supplier and writing reviews using this information. These reviews are updated as regularly as possible, and any data is backed up by a source where necessary. I have also started writing guides on various energy-related topics, which hopefully you will find useful. If you find any issues, please use our contact form to let us know.