How much does it cost to run a kettle? (2026–27)

At typical draw · official state tariffs

$0.66$1.01 per hour at 2,400 W

Typical household use — 0.15 h/day, 365 days a year at 2,400 W — runs $36$55 a year depending on your state's tariff.

Wattage basis: Standard 1.7 L household kettles rate 2,200–2,400 W; travel kettles 1,000–1,500 W; high-performance up to 3,000 W.

Kettle running cost by state at typical draw (2026–27 reference tariffs)
StateTariff c/kWhPer hourTypical year
New South Wales33.1c$0.80$44
Victoria27.5c$0.66$36
Queensland28.0c$0.67$37
South Australia41.9c$1.01$55
Western Australia33.3c$0.80$44
Tasmania28.0c$0.67$37
Australian Capital Territory37.0c$0.89$49
Northern Territory31.7c$0.76$42

Appliance running-cost calculator

NSW

Kettle: 1,0003,000 W typical range.

A 2,400 W kettle boils 1.7 L in ~5.5 minutes; a few boils a day ≈ 9 minutes of element time.

$0.80 per hour · $44/year at your settings
Per day (0.15 h)
$0.12
Per month
$3.63
Per year (365 days)
$43.54

Tariff: 33.1c/kWh — AER Default Market Offer 2026–27 (DMO 8) for the Ausgrid network, effective 1 July 2026. Wattage basis: EcoFlow AU — kettle wattage (cross-checked Canstar Blue). Full kettle costs in NSW

Cutting the cost

Only boil what you'll actually pour. A kettle filled to the brim wastes most of its heat warming water you'll tip away, so fill it from the cup you're about to use. Descale it now and then, since scale on the element slows the boil. And an electric kettle heats water more efficiently than a pot on the cooktop.

Frequently asked questions

How is the running cost calculated?
Watts ÷ 1,000 × your electricity rate = cost per hour. A kettle drawing 2,400 W on a 33.1c/kWh tariff costs $0.80 an hour — the calculator above lets you change every input.
Does a higher star rating cut the cost?
Yes — the star rating compresses the power draw or energy per use, which scales this page's figures directly. The low–high band in the table (1,0003,000 W) roughly spans efficient to inefficient models.
Why does the state matter?
The appliance draws the same power everywhere — but each state's reference usage rate differs, so the same hour of running costs $0.66 in the cheapest state and $1.01 in the dearest. Pick your state above for exact figures.

Related

Sources — figures current as at 17 July 2026.

Costs use each state's representative-zone reference usage rate, effective 1 July 2026. A 2,400 W kettle boils 1.7 L in ~5.5 minutes; a few boils a day ≈ 9 minutes of element time.