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Microwave electricity use

Turn electrical input power and minutes of use into kWh and daily, monthly and annual electricity cost.

✓ Usage by minutes✓ Monthly consumption✓ Annual cost

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LearnCalculate electricity consumptionRead the general guide →CompareMicrowave vs ovenSee differences →

Indicative diagram of this calculator inputs — Cost depends on real power draw, usage time and the price per kWh.

How we calculate consumption

We convert minutes to hours and watts to kilowatts, then multiply by days and the electricity price.

W ÷ 1000 × (minutes ÷ 60) × days × €/kWh

Input power and output power differ

A microwave marketed as 800 W can draw more than 1,000 W from the socket. Check the rear label or data sheet for electrical input power.

High power is used for a short time

Microwaves use high power, but usually for short periods. When comparing with an oven, cooking time matters as much as rated power.

Use electrical input power, not only the cooking rating

A microwave advertised as 800 W cooking power can draw substantially more electricity from the socket. For running-cost calculations, use the electrical input rating from the appliance label or technical data rather than the microwave output figure alone.

Short runtime is why total energy can stay low

Microwaves often use high power for only a few minutes. That means an appliance with a high wattage can still use less total energy for a task than a lower-power appliance that runs for much longer.

Add up real daily use

If the microwave is used several times a day, total the minutes from reheating, defrosting and cooking. Combination grill modes can use different power and should not automatically be treated as microwave-only operation.

For a worked example, see microwave electricity use. To compare cooking methods, use microwave vs oven.

Editorial review: 11 Oct 2026. Use the appliance's electrical input rating for the best cost estimate.