Cost to run a microwave oven
Each 5 minutes use of a microwave oven drawing 1,000 W costs 2.19p at 26.32p/kWh. Used 2 uses a day of 5 minutes, every day, that comes to £1.33 a month.
Each use costs
2.19p a use
That is 0.083 kWh. Used as set, it comes to £1.33 a month and £16.01 a year.
On the label or in the manual.
Standby, thermostats and off-peak use
Drawn while plugged in and not running.
| Period | Cost | Energy | CO2e |
|---|---|---|---|
| A use | 2.19p | 0.083 kWh | 18 g |
| A day, on average | 4.39p | 0.17 kWh | 36 g |
| A month | £1.33 | 5.07 kWh | 1.1 kg |
| A year | £16.01 | 60.8 kWh | 13.2 kg |
How we calculated this
Energy is power multiplied by time: 1,000 W for 5 minutes uses 0.083 kWh each time.
The typical figure is the average rating Centre for Sustainable Energy gives for a microwave, and the low and high figures are the ends of Virginia Tech’s nameplate range.
The starting use for a microwave oven, 2 uses a day of 5 minutes, every day, is where the calculator starts, not a measurement of your home: change it to how you use yours. A day is the average across the week, and a month is a twelfth of a 365-day year.
Electricity costs 26.32p/kWh. That is the published figure for the United Kingdom, 1 Oct – 31 Dec 2026, from Ofgem. Average for England, Scotland and Wales, paying by Direct Debit. No VAT on electricity from 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027.
Standing charges are left out: you pay them whether or not the appliance runs.
Emissions use 0.217 kg CO2e per kWh, the lifecycle intensity of electricity generated in the United Kingdom in 2025, from Ember, via Our World in Data. Lifecycle means building the power stations and supplying their fuel are counted too. It is the grid’s average, not the particular power station an extra appliance brings on.
What drives the cost
A microwave oven heats the food and little else, so for reheating a plate or a mug it is usually cheaper than a full-size oven. It draws 1,000 W while it runs, and a use of 5 minutes costs 2.19p.
Also called: microwave.
What it costs in the UK, Europe and the US
For a microwave oven used as typical (2 uses a day of 5 minutes, every day), at each country’s published average electricity price.
| Country | Electricity price | A use |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 26.32p/kWh | 2.19p |
| United States (average) | 18.19¢/kWh | 1.52¢ |
| Ireland | €0.4042/kWh | €0.034 |
| Germany | 0,3869 €/kWh | 0,032 € |
| France | 0,2561 €/kWh | 0,021 € |
| Spain | 0,2669 €/kWh | 0,022 € |
| Italy | 0,2966 €/kWh | 0,025 € |
| Netherlands | € 0,2558/kWh | € 0,021 |
Compared with similar appliances
| Appliance | Typical power | An hour | A year, typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microwave oven | 1,000 W | 26.3p | £16.01 |
| Electric oven | 2,100 W | 55.3p | £108.08 |
| Toaster oven | 1,225 W | 32.2p | £28.02 |
| Kettle | 3,000 W | 79p | £72.05 |
How to spend less on it
- Use it for reheating and small portions instead of the oven: there is no large space to warm and no preheat.
- Cover food so it heats in fewer minutes: less time on means less energy.
Questions
How much does a microwave oven cost to run per hour?
At 26.32p/kWh, a microwave oven drawing 1,000 W costs 26.3p for every hour of running at full power.
How much does a microwave oven cost to run a year?
Used 2 uses a day of 5 minutes, every day, it costs about £16.01 a year at 26.32p/kWh, or £1.33 a month.
How many watts does a microwave oven use?
Most draw between 750 W and 1,100 W while running, and 1,000 W is typical. The rating is on the label or in the manual.
Is a microwave cheaper to run than an oven?
For small portions, yes: it draws 1,000 W for a few minutes where an oven heats a large space for much longer. A use of 5 minutes costs 2.19p here.
Sources
- How much electricity am I using?, Centre for Sustainable Energy, July 2026. “Microwave (1000 W)”
- ENERGY SERIES: Estimating Appliance and Home Electronic Energy Use, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech, 26 February 2020. “Microwave oven = 750–1100”
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