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Electricity Bill for a Couple in an apartment in the UK (2026)
Two adults in a flat, both working, cooking most evenings. A dishwasher and a second laptop appear, the washing machine runs more often, and the TV is on longer.
A couple in an apartment uses about 2,500 kWh of electricity a year. At United Kingdom prices of £0.26 per kWh (source: Ofgem price cap 1 Jul–30 Sep 2026, 2026-07), that is £54.17 per month, or £650.00 per year.
Benchmark: Ofgem Typical Domestic Consumption Values, decision May 2026, effective 1 July 2026: Medium user (single-rate). Data as of 2026-07. It covers Profile Class 1 is standard single-rate homes, mostly gas heated. Profile Class 2 is multi-rate (Economy 7) homes, typically electrically heated.
Where the electricity goes
- Other appliances 54%
- Refrigeration & freezing 15%
- TV, computing & network 9%
- Cooking 9%
- Washing, drying & dishwashing 9%
- Lighting 5%
| End use | Per year | Cost | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Refrigeration & freezing | 375 kWh | £97.42 | 15% |
| Cooking | 218 kWh | £56.70 | 9% |
| Washing, drying & dishwashing | 215 kWh | £55.90 | 9% |
| TV, computing & network | 224 kWh | £58.29 | 9% |
| Lighting | 129 kWh | £33.54 | 5% |
| Other appliances | 1,339 kWh | £348.16 | 54% |
End-use shares: DESNZ Energy Consumption in the UK 2025, Table U3, domestic electricity 2024: space heating 14.5%, water heating 4.1%, cooking 7.1%, lighting 4.2%, appliances 70.1%. The split of 'appliances' into cold, wet, electronics and other is not published and is derived from US RECS proportions. Some of these shares are derived rather than published; see the note. This benchmark excludes heating & cooling and water heating, which are on gas or counted separately in this country's statistics.
Through the day
What drives this household's bill
- The second person adds far less than double: the fridge, router and lighting are shared.
- Dishwasher plus washing machine are the swing items; eco cycles cut both by a third.
- A desktop or gaming PC instead of laptops can add a quarter to the total.
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. 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 | 6.8 h | 375 kWh | £97.42 |
| Dishwasher ×0.7 | Washing, drying & dishwashing | 1,500 W | 25 min | 161 kWh | £41.92 |
| LED Light Bulb ×8 | Lighting | 9 W | 4.9 h | 129 kWh | £33.54 |
| Hair Dryer | Other appliances | 1,800 W | 9 min | 99 kWh | £25.62 |
| Induction Cooktop | Cooking | 1,800 W | 8 min | 90 kWh | £23.46 |
| Laptop ×2 | TV, computing & network | 45 W | 2.7 h | 87 kWh | £22.71 |
| Vacuum Cleaner ×0.7 | Other appliances | 1,000 W | 15 min | 64 kWh | £16.61 |
| Television ×1.3 | TV, computing & network | 100 W | 1.3 h | 63 kWh | £16.40 |
| Electric Oven ×0.5 | Cooking | 2,500 W | 8 min | 63 kWh | £16.29 |
| Washing Machine ×0.7 | Washing, drying & dishwashing | 500 W | 25 min | 54 kWh | £13.97 |
| Computer Monitor | TV, computing & network | 30 W | 2.7 h | 29 kWh | £7.57 |
| Wi-Fi Router | TV, computing & network | 10 W | 8.0 h | 29 kWh | £7.57 |
| Coffee Maker (Drip) | Cooking | 1,000 W | 4 min | 25 kWh | £6.52 |
| Electric Kettle ×1.5 | Cooking | 2,000 W | 1 min | 23 kWh | £5.87 |
| Microwave | Cooking | 1,000 W | 2 min | 13 kWh | £3.26 |
| Smart Speaker | TV, computing & network | 3 W | 8.0 h | 9 kWh | £2.27 |
| Toaster | Cooking | 1,000 W | 1 min | 5 kWh | £1.30 |
| Phone Charger ×2 | TV, computing & network | 10 W | 40 min | 5 kWh | £1.26 |
| Streaming Stick or Box | TV, computing & network | 4 W | 1.3 h | 2 kWh | £0.50 |
| Small appliances, standby and items not listed | Other appliances | – | – | 1,177 kWh | £305.93 |
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The same household in other countries
| Country | Official benchmark | Per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States (average) | 10,648 kWh | $1,917 | $159.72 |
| United Kingdom | 2,500 kWh | £650.00 | £54.17 |
| Germany | 1,900 kWh | €703.00 | €58.58 |
| France | 3,017 kWh | €603.40 | €50.28 |
| Australia | 5,237 kWh | A$1,833 | A$152.75 |
| Canada (average) | 7,417 kWh | C$1,038 | C$86.53 |
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.