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Electricity Bill for a Couple in an apartment in Alabama (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 10,648 kWh of electricity a year. At Alabama prices of $0.16 per kWh (source: EIA Table 5.6.A, 2026-06), that is $141.97 per month, or $1,704 per year.
Benchmark: EIA Residential Energy Consumption Survey 2020, Table CE2.1, average kWh per household using electricity: 2-person household. Data as of 2020. It covers all electricity use including electric heating, air conditioning and water heating where present. The consumption benchmark is national (United States); Alabama differs from it mainly through climate and price, and the price is what changes the figure below.
Where the electricity goes
- Heating & cooling 40%
- Other appliances 18%
- Water heating 12%
- Refrigeration & freezing 10%
- Lighting 6%
- TV, computing & network 6%
- Washing, drying & dishwashing 6%
- Cooking 3%
| End use | Per year | Cost | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heating & cooling | 4,249 kWh | $679.77 | 40% |
| Water heating | 1,278 kWh | $204.44 | 12% |
| Refrigeration & freezing | 1,033 kWh | $165.26 | 10% |
| Cooking | 298 kWh | $47.70 | 3% |
| Washing, drying & dishwashing | 596 kWh | $95.41 | 6% |
| TV, computing & network | 618 kWh | $98.81 | 6% |
| Lighting | 660 kWh | $105.63 | 6% |
| Other appliances | 1,917 kWh | $306.66 | 18% |
End-use shares: EIA RECS 2020, Tables CE5.1a and CE5.1b (electricity by detailed end use). Heating & cooling includes air handlers, fans and dehumidifiers; electronics is TVs and related; computers fall in 'other'. These shares are official.
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 | 16.0 h | 876 kWh | $140.16 |
| Dishwasher ×0.7 | Washing, drying & dishwashing | 1,500 W | 1.2 h | 447 kWh | $71.55 |
| LED Light Bulb ×8 | Lighting | 9 W | 10.0 h | 263 kWh | $42.05 |
| Laptop ×2 | TV, computing & network | 45 W | 7.3 h | 241 kWh | $38.50 |
| Television ×1.3 | TV, computing & network | 100 W | 3.7 h | 174 kWh | $27.80 |
| Washing Machine ×0.7 | Washing, drying & dishwashing | 500 W | 1.2 h | 149 kWh | $23.85 |
| Induction Cooktop | Cooking | 1,800 W | 11 min | 123 kWh | $19.74 |
| Hair Dryer | Other appliances | 1,800 W | 9 min | 99 kWh | $15.77 |
| Electric Oven ×0.5 | Cooking | 2,500 W | 11 min | 86 kWh | $13.71 |
| Computer Monitor | TV, computing & network | 30 W | 7.3 h | 80 kWh | $12.83 |
| Wi-Fi Router | TV, computing & network | 10 W | 22.0 h | 80 kWh | $12.83 |
| Vacuum Cleaner ×0.7 | Other appliances | 1,000 W | 15 min | 64 kWh | $10.22 |
| Coffee Maker (Drip) | Cooking | 1,000 W | 6 min | 34 kWh | $5.48 |
| Electric Kettle ×1.5 | Cooking | 2,000 W | 2 min | 31 kWh | $4.93 |
| Smart Speaker | TV, computing & network | 3 W | 22.0 h | 24 kWh | $3.85 |
| Microwave | Cooking | 1,000 W | 3 min | 17 kWh | $2.74 |
| Phone Charger ×2 | TV, computing & network | 10 W | 1.8 h | 13 kWh | $2.14 |
| Toaster | Cooking | 1,000 W | 1 min | 7 kWh | $1.10 |
| Streaming Stick or Box | TV, computing & network | 4 W | 3.7 h | 5 kWh | $0.86 |
| Small appliances, standby and items not listed | Other appliances | – | – | 1,754 kWh | $280.67 |
| Additional lights and fittings | Lighting | – | – | 397 kWh | $63.58 |
| Second fridge, freezer or older models not listed | Refrigeration & freezing | – | – | 157 kWh | $25.10 |
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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.