Electricity Bill for a All-electric family house in British Columbia (2026)

A family of four whose heating and hot water are electric, with a heat pump or resistance heating and an electric water heater. Heating and hot water are the bill; appliances are a minority.

A all-electric family house uses about 17,750 kWh of electricity a year. At British Columbia prices of 12.6¢ per kWh (source: Hydro-Québec 2025 comparison, Apr 2025), that is C$186.38 per month, or C$2,236 per year.

Benchmark: Natural Resources Canada, Survey of Household Energy Use 2019, Table 3.5a electricity intensity per household (GJ converted at 277.78 kWh/GJ): Quebec average. Data as of 2019. It covers all electricity use; electric heating is common in Quebec, Manitoba and Atlantic Canada, which is why those averages are high. The consumption benchmark is national (Canada); British Columbia differs from it mainly through climate and price, and the price is what changes the figure below.

Where the electricity goes

Heating & cooling 35%
Other appliances 19%
Water heating 15%
Refrigeration & freezing 10%
Washing, drying & dishwashing 6%
TV, computing & network 6%
Lighting 6%
Cooking 3%

End use	Per year	Cost	Share
Heating & cooling	6,212 kWh	C$782.77	35%
Water heating	2,662 kWh	C$335.48	15%
Refrigeration & freezing	1,775 kWh	C$223.65	10%
Cooking	532 kWh	C$67.09	3%
Washing, drying & dishwashing	1,065 kWh	C$134.19	6%
TV, computing & network	1,065 kWh	C$134.19	6%
Lighting	1,065 kWh	C$134.19	6%
Other appliances	3,372 kWh	C$424.94	19%

End-use shares: Derived. NRCan publishes residential end-use shares for all fuels (space heating 59%, water heating 19%, appliances 14%, lighting 4%, cooling 3%, 2023) but not for electricity alone; electricity shares here are an approximation that treats roughly half of Canadian homes as electrically heated. Some of these shares are derived rather than published; see the note.

Through the day

Heating & cooling 35%
Water heating 15%
Refrigeration & freezing 10%
Cooking 3%
Washing, drying & dishwashing 6%
TV, computing & network 6%
Lighting 6%
Other appliances 19%

Illustrative shape of a typical day: each band's area equals that end use's share of 48.6 kWh a day, peaking around 19:00. The timing is a standard household pattern, not a measurement, and it changes with season and habits.

What drives this household's bill

The largest share here is heating & cooling at 35% (C$782.77 a year), followed by other appliances at 19%.
Space heating and hot water are typically half to two-thirds of the total, and they depend on insulation and climate more than on anything you plug in.
A heat pump instead of resistance heating cuts the heating share by half or more.
Lower the water heater to 55 to 60 C and fit low-flow showerheads before touching any appliance.

Appliance by appliance

Each end-use bucket above is spread over this household's appliances in proportion to their typical use, never at more than twice that use or more hours than the appliance can realistically run. What the listed appliances cannot account for appears as "not listed" rows, so the table still adds up to the official figures. Hours are implied, not measured.

Appliance	End use	Typical	Hours/day	Per year	Cost
Refrigerator	Refrigeration & freezing	150 W	16.0 h	876 kWh	C$110.38
Clothes Dryer	Washing, drying & dishwashing	3,000 W	33 min	609 kWh	C$76.68
Chest Freezer	Refrigeration & freezing	100 W	16.0 h	584 kWh	C$73.58
LED Light Bulb ×18	Lighting	9 W	8.0 h	473 kWh	C$59.60
Desktop Computer	TV, computing & network	150 W	5.8 h	319 kWh	C$40.15
Dishwasher	Washing, drying & dishwashing	1,500 W	33 min	304 kWh	C$38.34
Television ×2	TV, computing & network	100 W	2.9 h	212 kWh	C$26.76
Hair Dryer ×2	Other appliances	1,800 W	9 min	197 kWh	C$24.83
Laptop ×2	TV, computing & network	45 W	5.8 h	191 kWh	C$24.09
Induction Cooktop	Cooking	1,800 W	17 min	190 kWh	C$23.92
Electric Oven	Cooking	2,500 W	12 min	176 kWh	C$22.14
Washing Machine	Washing, drying & dishwashing	500 W	50 min	152 kWh	C$19.17
Gaming Console (PS5, Xbox)	TV, computing & network	180 W	2.2 h	143 kWh	C$18.07
Outdoor Security Floodlight	Lighting	30 W	12.0 h	131 kWh	C$16.56
Vacuum Cleaner	Other appliances	1,000 W	15 min	91 kWh	C$11.50
Computer Monitor	TV, computing & network	30 W	5.8 h	64 kWh	C$8.03
Wi-Fi Router	TV, computing & network	10 W	17.5 h	64 kWh	C$8.03
Air Fryer	Cooking	1,500 W	6 min	53 kWh	C$6.64
Electric Kettle ×2	Cooking	2,000 W	2 min	42 kWh	C$5.31
Smart Speaker ×2	TV, computing & network	3 W	17.5 h	38 kWh	C$4.82
Coffee Maker (Drip)	Cooking	1,000 W	6 min	35 kWh	C$4.43
Microwave	Cooking	1,000 W	4 min	26 kWh	C$3.32
Electric Lawn Mower (Corded or Battery)	Other appliances	1,200 W	6 min	22 kWh	C$2.72
Phone Charger ×4	TV, computing & network	10 W	1.5 h	21 kWh	C$2.68
Toaster	Cooking	1,000 W	2 min	11 kWh	C$1.33
Streaming Stick or Box ×2	TV, computing & network	4 W	2.9 h	8 kWh	C$1.07
Printer (Inkjet or Laser)	TV, computing & network	30 W	22 min	4 kWh	C$0.50
Garage Door Opener	Other appliances	500 W	1 min	4 kWh	C$0.46
Small appliances, standby and items not listed	Other appliances	–	–	3,059 kWh	C$385.42
Additional lights and fittings	Lighting	–	–	461 kWh	C$58.03
Second fridge, freezer or older models not listed	Refrigeration & freezing	–	–	315 kWh	C$39.69

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The same household in other countries

Country	Official benchmark	Per year	Per month
United States (average)	13,073 kWh	$2,398	$199.80
United Kingdom	6,100 kWh	£1,606	£133.79
Germany	4,700 kWh	€1,739	€144.92
France	13,290 kWh	€2,659	€221.61
Australia	7,311 kWh	A$2,559	A$213.24
Canada (average)	17,750 kWh	C$2,485	C$207.08

Each row uses that country's own regulator benchmark and average price, in local currency. Differences reflect climate, heating fuel and appliance ownership as much as price.

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