How Much Does It Cost to Run a Slow Cooker in British Columbia? (2026)
Slow cookers use little power for a long time. An 8 hour cook on low uses about 1 kWh, comparable to running an oven for 40 minutes.
A typical slow cooker (200 W) costs C$0.025 per hour, or about C$6.05 per month at 8 hours a day in British Columbia. Average running cost
| Wattage | Per hour | Per day | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low 100 W | C$0.013 | C$0.10 | C$3.02 | C$36.79 |
| Typical 200 W | C$0.025 | C$0.20 | C$6.05 | C$73.58 |
| High 300 W | C$0.038 | C$0.30 | C$9.07 | C$110.38 |
Formula: watts ÷ 1000 × hours × price per kWh. Typical use is 8 h/day ≈ 584 kWh per year.
One hour of a slow cooker (0.20 kWh) is the same electricity as
- 2.0kettle boils
- 4.0hours of a fridge
- 13phone charges
- 22hours of an LED bulb
In British Columbia, with electricity at 12.6¢ per kWh (source: Hydro-Québec 2025 comparison, 2025-04), a typical slow cooker costs C$0.025 per hour and about C$73.58 per year at 8 hours a day. That is about 10% less than the national average for Canada (C$6.72 per month), because electricity in British Columbia costs 12.6¢ per kWh against 14.0¢ nationally. Each C$1.00 of electricity buys roughly 39.7 hours of use.
How to lower the cost of running a slow cooker
- Use the low setting for long cooks. High draws more and finishes sooner but uses similar total energy.
- Keep the lid on. Every peek adds 15 to 20 minutes of cooking.
- Fill it at least half full for efficient heat transfer.
Frequently asked questions
Is a slow cooker cheaper than an oven?
For long braises, yes. It uses roughly 1 kWh over 8 hours versus 2 to 3 kWh for an oven over the same period.
How much does it cost to run a slow cooker for 8 hours?
About 1 to 1.5 kWh. Check the daily figure above.
Does a slow cooker use a lot of electricity on high?
High is typically 250 to 300 watts, still far below any oven or hob.
Cost by region
US states
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Canadian provinces
Related appliances
- Mini Fridge80 W typical
- Chest Freezer100 W typical
- Air Fryer1,500 W typical
- Coffee Maker (Drip)1,000 W typical
Use the generic electricity cost calculator · Which uses more? Take the quiz