How Much Does It Cost to Run a Microwave? (April 2026)
Running a Microwave (1,000 W typical) for 0.5 hours a day costs between $1.85 per month in North Dakota and $6.99 per month in Hawaii, at each state's official average residential rate for April 2026.
Microwave: what it costs you
Pick your state and how long it runs each day. Nothing you type is stored.
- Cost per month
- $2.92
- Cost per year
- $35.08
Assumes a 30-day month (year = 12 × month) at Ohio's average residential rate of 19.49¢/kWh (U.S. EIA, April 2026). Your plan's price differs.
Typical wattage: 1,000 W (DOE Energy Saver, verified 2026-07-17) — ~600-1,200 W output; ~1,000 W typical draw. A representative figure, not a spec sheet for your model.
Monthly cost in every state (0.5 hours/day)
| State | Price | Cost / month |
|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | 46.62¢/kWh | $6.99 |
| California | 35.25¢/kWh | $5.29 |
| Connecticut | 32.24¢/kWh | $4.84 |
| Massachusetts | 29.45¢/kWh | $4.42 |
| New York | 29.45¢/kWh | $4.42 |
| Maine | 28.42¢/kWh | $4.26 |
| Rhode Island | 28.30¢/kWh | $4.25 |
| Alaska | 27.35¢/kWh | $4.10 |
| New Hampshire | 27.24¢/kWh | $4.09 |
| District of Columbia | 25.41¢/kWh | $3.81 |
| Vermont | 24.56¢/kWh | $3.68 |
| New Jersey | 23.53¢/kWh | $3.53 |
| Maryland | 22.07¢/kWh | $3.31 |
| Pennsylvania | 21.47¢/kWh | $3.22 |
| Michigan | 21.39¢/kWh | $3.21 |
| Illinois | 20.47¢/kWh | $3.07 |
| Ohio | 19.49¢/kWh | $2.92 |
| Wisconsin | 19.21¢/kWh | $2.88 |
| Delaware | 18.79¢/kWh | $2.82 |
| Indiana | 17.90¢/kWh | $2.69 |
| Alabama | 17.41¢/kWh | $2.61 |
| Virginia | 17.38¢/kWh | $2.61 |
| South Carolina | 17.06¢/kWh | $2.56 |
| Texas | 16.99¢/kWh | $2.55 |
| Mississippi | 16.76¢/kWh | $2.51 |
| Colorado | 16.54¢/kWh | $2.48 |
| Minnesota | 16.39¢/kWh | $2.46 |
| North Carolina | 16.25¢/kWh | $2.44 |
| West Virginia | 16.06¢/kWh | $2.41 |
| Kansas | 15.78¢/kWh | $2.37 |
| Oregon | 15.78¢/kWh | $2.37 |
| Arizona | 15.48¢/kWh | $2.32 |
| Florida | 15.38¢/kWh | $2.31 |
| Georgia | 15.37¢/kWh | $2.31 |
| New Mexico | 15.15¢/kWh | $2.27 |
| Kentucky | 15.02¢/kWh | $2.25 |
| Tennessee | 14.94¢/kWh | $2.24 |
| Wyoming | 14.68¢/kWh | $2.20 |
| South Dakota | 14.52¢/kWh | $2.18 |
| Louisiana | 14.44¢/kWh | $2.17 |
| Washington | 14.36¢/kWh | $2.15 |
| Nevada | 14.29¢/kWh | $2.14 |
| Arkansas | 14.16¢/kWh | $2.12 |
| Missouri | 14.01¢/kWh | $2.10 |
| Montana | 13.90¢/kWh | $2.09 |
| Iowa | 13.86¢/kWh | $2.08 |
| Oklahoma | 13.31¢/kWh | $2.00 |
| Utah | 13.29¢/kWh | $1.99 |
| Nebraska | 13.28¢/kWh | $1.99 |
| Idaho | 12.70¢/kWh | $1.91 |
| North Dakota | 12.35¢/kWh | $1.85 |
How to cut this cost
- Run it fewer hours. The cost above scales linearly with runtime - use the calculator to see what your actual hours cost.
- Measure what it really draws. The wattage here is a typical DOE figure; a plug-in electricity usage monitor shows what your unit actually uses.
- Compare it with similar loads: refrigerator, mini fridge, chest freezer, dishwasher, electric oven, coffee maker.
Rates: U.S. Energy Information Administration residential average retail price, April 2026 (public domain). Typical wattage: 1,000 W, DOE Energy Saver, verified 2026-07-17 (~600-1,200 W output; ~1,000 W typical draw.). Costs assume a 30-day month at the state's average residential rate; your model, usage and plan price differ.