Electricity Bill for a Couple in an apartment in Iowa (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 Iowa prices of 15.9¢ per kWh (source: EIA Table 5.6.A, Jun 2026), that is $141.35 per month, or $1,696 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); Iowa differs from it mainly through climate and price, and the price is what changes the figure below. United States statistics do not separate this household from couple in a house or retired couple at home all day, so they share the same official figure.

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	$676.79	40%
Water heating	1,278 kWh	$203.55	12%
Refrigeration & freezing	1,033 kWh	$164.53	10%
Cooking	298 kWh	$47.49	3%
Washing, drying & dishwashing	596 kWh	$94.99	6%
TV, computing & network	618 kWh	$98.38	6%
Lighting	660 kWh	$105.17	6%
Other appliances	1,917 kWh	$305.32	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

Heating & cooling 40%
Water heating 12%
Refrigeration & freezing 10%
Cooking 3%
Washing, drying & dishwashing 6%
TV, computing & network 6%
Lighting 6%
Other appliances 18%

Illustrative shape of a typical day: each band's area equals that end use's share of 29.2 kWh a day, peaking around 18:00. 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 40% ($676.79 a year), followed by other appliances at 18%.
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 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	$139.55
Dishwasher	Washing, drying & dishwashing	1,500 W	49 min	447 kWh	$71.24
Laptop ×2	TV, computing & network	45 W	7.3 h	241 kWh	$38.33
LED Light Bulb ×8	Lighting	9 W	8.0 h	210 kWh	$33.49
Television	TV, computing & network	100 W	4.8 h	174 kWh	$27.68
Washing Machine	Washing, drying & dishwashing	500 W	49 min	149 kWh	$23.75
Induction Cooktop	Cooking	1,800 W	11 min	123 kWh	$19.65
Hair Dryer	Other appliances	1,800 W	9 min	99 kWh	$15.70
Electric Oven	Cooking	2,500 W	6 min	86 kWh	$13.65
Computer Monitor	TV, computing & network	30 W	7.3 h	80 kWh	$12.78
Wi-Fi Router	TV, computing & network	10 W	22.0 h	80 kWh	$12.78
Vacuum Cleaner	Other appliances	1,000 W	10 min	64 kWh	$10.18
Coffee Maker (Drip)	Cooking	1,000 W	6 min	34 kWh	$5.46
Electric Kettle	Cooking	2,000 W	3 min	31 kWh	$4.91
Smart Speaker	TV, computing & network	3 W	22.0 h	24 kWh	$3.83
Microwave	Cooking	1,000 W	3 min	17 kWh	$2.73
Phone Charger ×2	TV, computing & network	10 W	1.8 h	13 kWh	$2.13
Toaster	Cooking	1,000 W	1 min	7 kWh	$1.09
Streaming Stick or Box	TV, computing & network	4 W	3.7 h	5 kWh	$0.85
Small appliances, standby and items not listed	Other appliances	–	–	1,754 kWh	$279.45
Additional lights and fittings	Lighting	–	–	450 kWh	$71.67
Second fridge, freezer or older models not listed	Refrigeration & freezing	–	–	157 kWh	$24.99

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The same household in other countries

Country	Official benchmark	Per year	Per month
United States (average)	10,648 kWh	$1,953	$162.74
United Kingdom	2,500 kWh	£658.00	£54.83
Germany	1,900 kWh	€703.00	€58.58
France	3,017 kWh	€603.70	€50.31
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.

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