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Electricity Bill for a Retired couple at home all day in Montana (2026)
Two people at home most of the day. The TV, kettle and lights run for many more hours than in a working household, and the house is kept warmer.
A retired couple at home all day uses about 10,648 kWh of electricity a year. At Montana prices of $0.15 per kWh (source: EIA Table 5.6.A, 2026-06), that is $133.10 per month, or $1,597 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); Montana 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 | $637.28 | 40% |
| Water heating | 1,278 kWh | $191.66 | 12% |
| Refrigeration & freezing | 1,033 kWh | $154.93 | 10% |
| Cooking | 298 kWh | $44.72 | 3% |
| Washing, drying & dishwashing | 596 kWh | $89.44 | 6% |
| TV, computing & network | 618 kWh | $92.64 | 6% |
| Lighting | 660 kWh | $99.03 | 6% |
| Other appliances | 1,917 kWh | $287.50 | 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.
What drives this household's bill
- Hours, not devices, drive this profile: a TV on for eight hours costs as much as a family's console habit.
- Daytime heating in winter is the largest cost if it is electric.
- An electric blanket and a heated throw are far cheaper than heating the room in the evening.
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 | 14.1 h | 775 kWh | $116.20 |
| Electric Blanket ×2 | Other appliances | 100 W | 8.0 h | 584 kWh | $87.60 |
| LED Light Bulb ×14 | Lighting | 9 W | 9.7 h | 447 kWh | $67.08 |
| Television ×2.5 | TV, computing & network | 100 W | 4.1 h | 377 kWh | $56.49 |
| Clothes Dryer ×0.5 | Washing, drying & dishwashing | 3,000 W | 34 min | 308 kWh | $46.26 |
| Chest Freezer ×0.5 | Refrigeration & freezing | 100 W | 14.1 h | 258 kWh | $38.73 |
| Dishwasher ×0.7 | Washing, drying & dishwashing | 1,500 W | 34 min | 216 kWh | $32.38 |
| Outdoor Security Floodlight | Lighting | 30 W | 19.4 h | 213 kWh | $31.94 |
| Laptop | TV, computing & network | 45 W | 8.3 h | 136 kWh | $20.34 |
| Induction Cooktop ×1.5 | Cooking | 1,800 W | 6 min | 94 kWh | $14.12 |
| Vacuum Cleaner | Other appliances | 1,000 W | 15 min | 91 kWh | $13.69 |
| Wi-Fi Router | TV, computing & network | 10 W | 24.0 h | 88 kWh | $13.14 |
| Electric Oven | Cooking | 2,500 W | 6 min | 87 kWh | $13.08 |
| Washing Machine ×0.7 | Washing, drying & dishwashing | 500 W | 34 min | 72 kWh | $10.79 |
| Slow Cooker | Cooking | 200 W | 46 min | 56 kWh | $8.37 |
| Electric Lawn Mower (Corded or Battery) | Other appliances | 1,200 W | 6 min | 44 kWh | $6.57 |
| Electric Kettle ×3 | Cooking | 2,000 W | 1 min | 31 kWh | $4.71 |
| Coffee Maker (Drip) | Cooking | 1,000 W | 3 min | 17 kWh | $2.62 |
| Phone Charger ×2 | TV, computing & network | 10 W | 2.1 h | 15 kWh | $2.26 |
| Microwave | Cooking | 1,000 W | 1 min | 9 kWh | $1.31 |
| Garage Door Opener | Other appliances | 500 W | 1 min | 4 kWh | $0.55 |
| Toaster | Cooking | 1,000 W | 1 min | 3 kWh | $0.52 |
| Small appliances, standby and items not listed | Other appliances | – | – | 1,194 kWh | $179.09 |
| Other screens, chargers, standby | TV, computing & network | – | – | 3 kWh | $0.42 |
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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.