Cost to run a toaster
Each 3 minutes use of a toaster drawing 1,000 W costs 1.32p at 26.32p/kWh. Used 1 use a day of 3 minutes, every day, that comes to 40p a month.
Each use costs
1.32p a use
That is 0.05 kWh. Used as set, it comes to 40p a month and £4.80 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 | 1.32p | 0.05 kWh | 11 g |
| A day, on average | 1.32p | 0.05 kWh | 11 g |
| A month | 40p | 1.52 kWh | 331 g |
| A year | £4.80 | 18.3 kWh | 4 kg |
How we calculated this
Energy is power multiplied by time: 1,000 W for 3 minutes uses 0.05 kWh each time.
The typical figure is the average rating Centre for Sustainable Energy gives for a toaster, and the low and high figures are the ends of Virginia Tech’s nameplate range.
The starting use for a toaster, 1 use a day of 3 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 toaster draws 1,000 W while it toasts, and it is on for only a couple of minutes each time. One round of toast uses 0.05 kWh and costs 1.32p, which is why a toaster is among the cheapest things in the kitchen to run.
Also called: pop-up toaster, slice toaster.
What it costs in the UK, Europe and the US
For a toaster used as typical (1 use a day of 3 minutes, every day), at each country’s published average electricity price.
| Country | Electricity price | A use |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 26.32p/kWh | 1.32p |
| United States (average) | 18.19¢/kWh | 0.91¢ |
| Ireland | €0.4042/kWh | €0.02 |
| Germany | 0,3869 €/kWh | 0,019 € |
| France | 0,2561 €/kWh | 0,013 € |
| Spain | 0,2669 €/kWh | 0,013 € |
| Italy | 0,2966 €/kWh | 0,015 € |
| Netherlands | € 0,2558/kWh | € 0,013 |
Compared with similar appliances
| Appliance | Typical power | An hour | A year, typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toaster | 1,000 W | 26.3p | £4.80 |
| Toaster oven | 1,225 W | 32.2p | £28.02 |
| Microwave oven | 1,000 W | 26.3p | £16.01 |
| Kettle | 3,000 W | 79p | £72.05 |
How to spend less on it
- Toast a few slices together rather than one at a time: the toaster draws the same power for a full rack as for one slice.
- Use the lightest setting you like: every extra bit of browning is more time with the element on.
Questions
How much does a toaster cost to run per hour?
At 26.32p/kWh, a toaster drawing 1,000 W costs 26.3p for every hour of running at full power.
How much does a toaster cost to run a year?
Used 1 use a day of 3 minutes, every day, it costs about £4.80 a year at 26.32p/kWh, or 40p a month.
How many watts does a toaster use?
Most draw between 800 W and 1,400 W while running, and 1,000 W is typical. The rating is on the label or in the manual.
Is it cheaper to make toast in a toaster or under the grill?
A toaster, generally: it heats only the bread, where a grill heats a large space. One round in a toaster costs 1.32p here.
Sources
- How much electricity am I using?, Centre for Sustainable Energy, July 2026. “Toaster (1000 W)”
- ENERGY SERIES: Estimating Appliance and Home Electronic Energy Use, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech, 26 February 2020. “Toaster = 800–1400”
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