Average Electric Bill by Apartment Size — July 2026
There is no official EIA figure for “the average electric bill for a 1-bedroom apartment” — EIA reports residential prices and usage by state and sector, not by unit size. What follows instead is a modeled estimate, built openly from the same DOE appliance wattages and EIA state prices every other page on this site uses, scaled by unit size the one way that is physically defensible: heating and cooling load tracks square footage; most other appliances do not.
The baseline: appliances that don't really change with unit size
A refrigerator, dishwasher or water heater costs roughly the same to run whether it sits in a studio or a 2-bedroom — the appliance, not the room, sets the cost. At the U.S. median state price of 16.09¢/kWh (EIA, July 2026):
| Appliance | ≈ Cost / month |
|---|---|
| Refrigerator | ≈$5.79 |
| Dishwasher | ≈$8.69 |
| Microwave | ≈$2.41 |
| Electric oven | ≈$11.58 |
| Coffee maker | ≈$2.17 |
| LED TV | ≈$2.17 |
| Washing machine | ≈$2.41 |
| Electric water heater | ≈$57.92 |
| Baseline total | ≈$93.16 |
The one that does scale: heating and cooling
Average U.S. apartment sizes run roughly 440 sq ft for a studio, 804 sq ft for a 1-bedroom and 1089 sq ft for a 2-bedroom (industry-reported averages, not an EIA/DOE figure). Assuming the space a cooling or heating unit has to condition scales with square footage, we scale a 900 W window AC and a 1,500 W space heater (both DOE Energy Saver figures, studio-sized) up by each unit's square-footage ratio to a studio:
watts × (unit sq ft ÷ studio sq ft) = scaled watts
1-Bedroom cooling: 900 W × (804 ÷ 440) ≈ 1,645 W
| Unit size | Avg. sq ft | ≈ Cooling / month | ≈ Heating / month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | 440 | ≈$34.75 | ≈$57.92 |
| 1-Bedroom | 804 | ≈$63.51 | ≈$105.84 |
| 2-Bedroom | 1,089 | ≈$86.02 | ≈$143.36 |
Put together: the modeled monthly range
| Unit size | Baseline + cooling month | Baseline + heating month |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | ≈$127.92 | ≈$151.09 |
| 1-Bedroom | ≈$156.67 | ≈$199.00 |
| 2-Bedroom | ≈$179.18 | ≈$236.52 |
A month running neither heating nor cooling would land near the $93.16 baseline alone, regardless of unit size. Full seasonal detail on what drives the heating and cooling side is in why bills spike in summer and in winter.
What this model does not capture
Square footage is one driver of a real bill, not the only one. Occupancy matters at least as much — a 2-bedroom with three roommates runs more laundry, more hot water and more electronics than one with a single tenant, and this model does not adjust for headcount at all. Building-level factors (in-unit laundry vs. a shared laundry room, whether heat is electric or included in rent, a building's insulation and window quality) can move the real number further than the size difference itself. Treat this as a starting order of magnitude, not a quote.
Compare against your actual bill
Enter your state and bill: the calculator places you against your state's average, which accounts for your actual price — a more precise comparison than a modeled unit-size estimate. Nothing you type is stored.
Bill Shock Calculator
See where you stand - and where your bill is headed. Nothing you type is stored.
Ohio average: $224/mo at 19.45¢/kWh (+11.9% YoY)
Your bill is 33.0% below the state average (≈771 kWh/mo at the state average price).
Where your bill is headed:
- locked2027/2028 delivery year (Jun 2027 - May 2028)+$0.23/mo
- locked2028/2029 delivery year (Jun 2028 - May 2029)-$0.23/mo
- trendIf the last 12 months' trend continues+$17.89/mo
“Locked” = PJM capacity auction prices already cleared (a floor - several utility zones cleared higher). “Trend” = the observed 12-month EIA trend extended, not a promise.
Three ways to fight it:
- Switch your plan. Ohio lets residents pick their electricity supplier. Plan comparison coming soon.
- Find your energy hogs. See what each appliance actually costs to run at Ohio rates: cost-to-run guides.
- Get a home energy audit. DOE guide to professional and DIY audits.
Estimate only, based on official data as of July 2026 (U.S. EIA residential averages; PJM auction results). Your actual plan price differs.
Keep going
- Why your electric bill spikes in summer — what cooling actually costs, appliance by appliance.
- Why your electric bill spikes in winter — the heating-season mirror.
- Your state's average price and history — the EIA-reported figure this model approximates around.
- How to lower your electric bill in an apartment — the levers that don't require renovation or a landlord's approval.
Every figure on this page is a modeled estimate, not an EIA-reported statistic — EIA does not publish residential prices or usage broken out by unit size. Electricity prices: U.S. Energy Information Administration, residential retail sales (public domain), July 2026. Appliance wattages: typical DOE Energy Saver figures, not your model's spec. Apartment square footage: industry-reported U.S. averages by unit type, used only to scale the heating/cooling estimate. Your actual bill depends on your specific unit, building and household — this is a starting estimate, not a quote.