Continue reading to learn more about the average electric kettle running costs and other factors that went into determining this.
Electric kettles are notorious for consuming a lot of energy. But how much does it cost to run them?
Boiling an electric kettle costs nearly 2 cents (£0.012) on average in the United Kingdom. For a typical UK household, this equates to $2.41 (£1.87) per month.
A typical electric kettle in the United States costs just under one cent to boil. If you use an electric kettle as much as people in the UK do, this equates to $1.42 per month.
In addition, we examine how the United States and the United Kingdom compare to 22 other countries in terms of electric kettle operating costs. You’ll also get 7 quick tips for lowering your electric kettle operating costs, as well as information on the environmental impact of using electric kettles.
Electric Kettle Running Costs Per Month
Assume the United States is as addicted to the kettle as the United Kingdom. Using the UK’s 5 times per day usage, we can quickly calculate how much it costs to boil an electric kettle on a monthly basis.
Boiling an electric kettle costs about $2.41 (£1.87) per month in the UK.
To run an electric kettle at the same rate as in the UK, it costs $1.42 per month in electricity in the United States.
But what about the rest of the world’s countries? How do the United States and the United Kingdom compare?
Electric Kettle Running Costs by Country
Let’s take the average 0.073Let’s look at how much it costs to boil an electric kettle once and for a month using the average 0.073kWh electric kettle running costs consumption, the typical UK usage amount, and the average unit price of electricity for each country (source: Statista).
| Country | Average kWh price in USD | Electric Kettle Cost Per Use (USD) | Cost p/m at typical UK use (i.e. 5 times p/d) |
| Germany | $0.33 | $0.024 | $3.61 |
| Belgium | $0.28 | $0.020 | $3.07 |
| Italy | $0.27 | $0.020 | $2.96 |
| Portugal | $0.26 | $0.019 | $2.85 |
| Spain | $0.24 | $0.018 | $2.63 |
| Austria | $0.23 | $0.017 | $2.52 |
| Japan | $0.22 | $0.016 | $2.41 |
| United Kingdom | $0.22 | $0.016 | $2.41 |
| Sweden | $0.21 | $0.015 | $2.30 |
| New Zealand | $0.20 | $0.015 | $2.19 |
| France | $0.19 | $0.014 | $2.08 |
| Colombia | $0.18 | $0.013 | $1.97 |
| Netherlands | $0.18 | $0.013 | $1.97 |
| Finland | $0.17 | $0.012 | $1.86 |
| Poland | $0.16 | $0.012 | $1.75 |
| Turkey | $0.15 | $0.011 | $1.64 |
| Brazil | $0.13 | $0.009 | $1.42 |
| United States | $0.13 | $0.009 | $1.42 |
| South Korea | $0.12 | $0.009 | $1.31 |
| Canada | $0.11 | $0.008 | $1.20 |
| Indonesia | $0.10 | $0.007 | $1.10 |
| South Africa | $0.09 | $0.007 | $0.99 |
| China | $0.08 | $0.006 | $0.88 |
| India | $0.08 | $0.006 | $0.88 |
Germany and many EU countries, as expected, are at the top of the list of most expensive countries to boil an electric kettle in.
In this our list of 24, the United States and Canada are two both of only eight countries where boiling an electric kettle running costs less than one cent (USD).
The United Kingdom is in the top third of countries where using an electric kettle is the most expensive. Given the rate of use, this is an unfortunate situation. Electric kettles account for about 4% of a typical household’s total energy consumption in the United Kingdom.
A quick aside on the tea-loving British stereotype: it’s true! After major events, the UK experiences power surges as a result of people turning on the kettle in mass. To facilitate these small electric kettle power surges, the national grid must actually monitor events.
Hi there! I’m a food enthusiast and journalist, and I have a real passion for food that goes beyond the kitchen. I love my dream job and I’m lucky enough to be able to share my knowledge with readers of several large media outlets. My specialty is writing engaging food-related content, and I take pride in being able to connect with my audience. I’m known for my creativity in the kitchen, and I’m confident that I can be the perfect guide for anyone looking to take their culinary journey to the next level.
