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ElectricGrill

Tool

Electric Grill Cost Calculator

See exactly what your electric grill costs to run — per cook, per week, per month, and per year. Enter your grill’s wattage and your electricity rate; the math is shown in full, with nothing hidden.

Your setup

W

Listed on the spec sheet or the plate near the cord. Most plug-in grills are 1500–1800W.

min

Total time the grill is powered on, including preheat.

/wk

How often you grill in a typical week.

$/kWh

On your power bill as the price per kilowatt-hour. US average is about $0.17/kWh (2026).

What it costs to run

Updates as you type

0.75 kWh
Energy per cook
$0.13
Cost per cook
$0.38
Per week
$1.66
Per month
$19.89
Per year

How this is calculated: 1,500 W ÷ 1000 × 30 min ÷ 60 = 0.75 kWh per cook, × $0.17/kWh = $0.13 per cook. Multiply by 3 sessions/week for the weekly, monthly, and yearly totals.

The method

How we calculate it

The cost of running an electric grill comes down to two short steps. First we work out the energy used in a single cook: divide the grill’s wattage by 1,000 to get kilowatts, then multiply by the cook time in hours (minutes ÷ 60). That gives kilowatt-hours (kWh) — the unit your power company bills you in.

Second, we multiply those kilowatt-hours by your electricity rate (the price per kWh on your bill) to get the cost of one cook. The weekly, monthly, and yearly figures simply scale that per-cook cost by how often you grill — sessions per week, then × 52 for a year and ÷ 12 for a month.

The formula

kWh per cook = watts ÷ 1000 × minutes ÷ 60
cost per cook = kWh per cook × rate ($/kWh)

Every figure on this page is computed live from the four inputs you enter — no look-up tables, no estimated specs, no fabricated prices. The default $0.17/kWh is the approximate 2026 US residential average; change it to match your own bill for an exact result.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to run an electric grill?

It depends on three things: the grill’s wattage, how long you cook, and your electricity rate. The formula is simple — kilowatt-hours used = watts ÷ 1000 × minutes ÷ 60, and cost = kilowatt-hours × your rate per kWh. For example, a 1500W grill run for 30 minutes uses 0.75 kWh; at the 2026 US average of about $0.17/kWh that is roughly $0.13 per cook. Enter your own numbers above for an exact figure for your grill and your rate.

Do electric grills use a lot of electricity?

Most plug-in electric grills draw 1500–1800 watts — similar to a space heater or a hair dryer — but only while they are running, which is usually well under an hour per cook. Because the run time is short, the energy used per session is small even though the wattage looks high. Larger 240V grills pull more, so wattage and cook time together decide the bill, not wattage alone. The calculator above shows the exact kilowatt-hours and cost for your setup.

Is an electric grill cheaper than gas to run?

It varies with local energy prices. Electric grills convert almost all the power they draw into cooking heat, while gas burners lose more heat to the surrounding air, so an electric grill is often efficient per cook. Whether it is cheaper in dollars depends on your electricity rate versus the price of propane or natural gas where you live. The honest answer is to compare the per-cook energy cost from this calculator against what a propane tank or gas line costs you locally.

How do I find my grill’s wattage and my electricity rate?

Wattage is printed on the grill’s spec sheet, the manual, or the rating plate near the power cord. Your electricity rate (price per kilowatt-hour) is listed on your monthly utility bill; if it is not obvious, divide the total amount charged for energy by the kilowatt-hours used that month. The 2026 US residential average is about $0.17/kWh, which the calculator uses as a sensible default.

Does preheating add much to the cost?

Preheating runs the grill at full power before food goes on, so it counts toward the total run time. To include it, just add the preheat minutes to the cook-time field above. Since the calculator charges only for the minutes the grill is actually powered on, a few extra preheat minutes add a small, predictable amount — not a hidden cost.

Keep reading

Now find the right grill

Once you know the running cost, the next question is which grill to buy. Start with our ranked picks and budget guides.

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