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How Much Does It Cost to Run a Electric Kettle in Australia? (2026)
Kettles draw a lot of power but for only a few minutes. Boiling a litre of water takes about 0.1 kWh regardless of kettle wattage; a higher wattage kettle just does it faster.
A typical electric kettle (2,000 W) costs A$0.70 per hour, or about A$3.15 per month at 0.15 hours a day in Australia. Cheap to run
| Wattage | Per hour | Per day | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low (1,500 W) | A$0.52 | A$0.079 | A$2.36 | A$28.74 |
| Typical (2,000 W) | A$0.70 | A$0.10 | A$3.15 | A$38.32 |
| High (3,000 W) | A$1.05 | A$0.16 | A$4.72 | A$57.49 |
Formula: watts ÷ 1000 × hours × price per kWh. Typical use is 0.15 h/day ≈ 110 kWh per year.
In Australia, with electricity at A$0.35 per kWh (source: AER Default Market Offer 2026–27, 2026-07), a typical electric kettle costs A$0.70 per hour and about A$38.32 per year at 0.15 hours a day. Each A$1.00 of electricity buys roughly 1.4 hours of use.
How to lower the cost of running a electric kettle
- Boil only the water you need. Filling the kettle for one cup doubles or triples the cost.
- Descale regularly. Limescale on the element slows heating.
- A kettle with a keep-warm function can use more over a day than boiling twice.
- Kettles are more efficient than boiling water on an electric stovetop.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to boil a kettle?
About 0.1 kWh per litre. A full 1.7 litre kettle uses roughly 0.17 kWh.
Is a 3,000 W kettle more expensive to run than a 2,000 W one?
No. It uses the same energy to boil the same water, just in less time.
Is it cheaper to boil water in a microwave?
No. Kettles are generally more efficient for boiling water than microwaves.
Compare with
Cost by region
- United States (average)
- California
- Texas
- New York
- Florida
- Canada (average)
- United Kingdom
- Germany
- France
- Australia
- India