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Electricity Bill for a Couple in a house in Canada (2026)
Two adults in a detached or semi-detached house. More rooms to light, a tumble dryer, a second fridge or freezer in the garage, and often a home office.
A couple in a house uses about 10,750 kWh of electricity a year. At Canada (average) prices of C$0.14 per kWh (source: Canada Energy Regulator 2026 market snapshot, 2026-06), that is C$125.42 per month, or C$1,505 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): Row, duplex or semi-detached. 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.
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 | 3,762 kWh | C$526.75 | 35% |
| Water heating | 1,612 kWh | C$225.75 | 15% |
| Refrigeration & freezing | 1,075 kWh | C$150.50 | 10% |
| Cooking | 322 kWh | C$45.15 | 3% |
| Washing, drying & dishwashing | 645 kWh | C$90.30 | 6% |
| TV, computing & network | 645 kWh | C$90.30 | 6% |
| Lighting | 645 kWh | C$90.30 | 6% |
| Other appliances | 2,042 kWh | C$285.95 | 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.
What drives this household's bill
- A house adds a dryer, a freezer and outdoor lighting, which is why two people in a house use about 40 percent more than two in a flat.
- If either person works from home, a desktop and monitor run eight hours a day.
- Garden tools and a pressure washer add little; a hot tub or pool pump adds a lot.
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 | 11.8 h | 645 kWh | C$90.30 |
| LED Light Bulb ×14 | Lighting | 9 W | 9.5 h | 437 kWh | C$61.17 |
| Chest Freezer | Refrigeration & freezing | 100 W | 11.8 h | 430 kWh | C$60.20 |
| Clothes Dryer ×0.5 | Washing, drying & dishwashing | 3,000 W | 36 min | 328 kWh | C$45.92 |
| Desktop Computer | TV, computing & network | 150 W | 5.4 h | 294 kWh | C$41.19 |
| Dishwasher ×0.7 | Washing, drying & dishwashing | 1,500 W | 36 min | 230 kWh | C$32.14 |
| Outdoor Security Floodlight | Lighting | 30 W | 19.0 h | 208 kWh | C$29.13 |
| Television ×1.3 | TV, computing & network | 100 W | 2.7 h | 127 kWh | C$17.85 |
| Induction Cooktop | Cooking | 1,800 W | 11 min | 120 kWh | C$16.76 |
| Electric Oven ×0.7 | Cooking | 2,500 W | 11 min | 116 kWh | C$16.29 |
| Hair Dryer | Other appliances | 1,800 W | 9 min | 99 kWh | C$13.80 |
| Vacuum Cleaner | Other appliances | 1,000 W | 15 min | 91 kWh | C$12.78 |
| Laptop | TV, computing & network | 45 W | 5.4 h | 88 kWh | C$12.36 |
| Washing Machine ×0.8 | Washing, drying & dishwashing | 500 W | 36 min | 87 kWh | C$12.24 |
| Computer Monitor | TV, computing & network | 30 W | 5.4 h | 59 kWh | C$8.24 |
| Wi-Fi Router | TV, computing & network | 10 W | 16.1 h | 59 kWh | C$8.24 |
| Electric Lawn Mower (Corded or Battery) | Other appliances | 1,200 W | 6 min | 44 kWh | C$6.13 |
| Coffee Maker (Drip) | Cooking | 1,000 W | 5 min | 33 kWh | C$4.65 |
| Electric Kettle ×1.5 | Cooking | 2,000 W | 2 min | 30 kWh | C$4.19 |
| Microwave | Cooking | 1,000 W | 3 min | 17 kWh | C$2.33 |
| Phone Charger ×2 | TV, computing & network | 10 W | 1.3 h | 10 kWh | C$1.37 |
| Toaster | Cooking | 1,000 W | 1 min | 7 kWh | C$0.93 |
| Streaming Stick or Box | TV, computing & network | 4 W | 2.7 h | 4 kWh | C$0.55 |
| Printer (Inkjet or Laser) | TV, computing & network | 30 W | 20 min | 4 kWh | C$0.51 |
| Garage Door Opener | Other appliances | 500 W | 1 min | 4 kWh | C$0.51 |
| Small appliances, standby and items not listed | Other appliances | – | – | 1,805 kWh | C$252.74 |
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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 | 2,700 kWh | €999.00 | €83.25 |
| France | 4,287 kWh | €857.40 | €71.45 |
| Australia | 5,237 kWh | A$1,833 | A$152.75 |
| Canada (average) | 10,750 kWh | C$1,505 | C$125.42 |
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.