What a microwave costs to run in Illinois
Illinois homes use 106 kWh a year on a microwave. Priced on top of the rest of the bill, that costs $11.32 to $11.32 a year across 24 published Illinois plans — a $0.00 gap. Checked September 2, 2026.
Every priced plan, average
| Plan | Per year | vs cheapest | Effective |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residential Single Family With Electric Space Heat Delivery Class(Retail Delivery Service-Unbundled)flat rate · delivery charges only | $1.56 | −$9.76 | 4.5¢ |
| Residential Multi Family With Electric Space Heat Delivery Class(Retail Delivery Service-Unbundled)flat rate · delivery charges only | $1.92 | −$9.40 | 3.6¢ |
| Residential Single Family Without Electric Space Heat Delivery Class(Retail Delivery Service)flat rate · delivery charges only | $3.00 | −$8.32 | 5.5¢ |
| BESH- Residential Single Family With Electric Space Heat Delivery Class(Unbundled)demand charge · delivery charges only | $3.36 | −$7.96 | 6.1¢ |
| Residential Multi Family Without Electric Space Heat Delivery Class(Retail Delivery Service-Unbundled)flat rate · delivery charges only | $3.72 | −$7.60 | 5.1¢ |
| BESH- Residential Multi Family With Electric Space Heat Delivery Class(Unbundled)demand charge · delivery charges only | $3.72 | −$7.60 | 5.3¢ |
| BESH- Residential Single Family Without Electric Space Heat Delivery Class(Unbundled)demand charge · delivery charges only | $4.68 | −$6.64 | 7.1¢ |
| RDS - Residential Multi Family With Electric Space Heat Delivery Classtime-of-use · delivery charges only | $4.68 | −$6.64 | 6.7¢ |
| RDS - Residential Single Family with Electric Space Heat Delivery Classtime-of-use · delivery charges only | $4.80 | −$6.52 | 7.6¢ |
| BESH- Residential Multi Family Without Electric Space Heat Delivery Class(Unbundled)demand charge · delivery charges only | $5.52 | −$5.80 | 6.8¢ |
| RDS - Residential Multi Family Without Electric Space Heat Delivery Classtime-of-use · delivery charges only | $6.60 | −$4.72 | 8.4¢ |
| Electric Heat Residential Income Qualified Senior Citizen (Rate 37)time-of-use · income-qualified rate | $9.64 | −$1.68 | 10.1¢ |
| Electric Heat Residential Income Qualified Senior Citizen - Southern View (Rate 36)time-of-use · income-qualified rate | $9.64 | −$1.68 | 10.1¢ |
| BES - Residential Multi Family With Electric Space Heat Delivery Classtime-of-use · delivery charges only | $10.08 | −$1.24 | 11.8¢ |
| BES - Residential Single Family with Electric Space Heat Delivery Classtime-of-use · delivery charges only | $10.12 | −$1.20 | 12.6¢ |
| Regular Residential- Southern View Senior Citizen (Rate 32)time-of-use · senior citizens only | $10.12 | −$1.20 | 10.7¢ |
| Regular Residential - Senior Citizen (Rate 33)time-of-use · senior citizens only | $10.12 | −$1.20 | 10.7¢ |
| Electric Heat Residential (Rate 34)time-of-use · needs electric heating | $10.68 | −$0.64 | 11.3¢ |
| Electric Heat Residential - Southern View (Rate 35)time-of-use · needs electric heating | $10.68 | −$0.64 | 11.3¢ |
| Regular Residential - Southern View (Rate 31)✓ cheapesttime-of-use | $11.32 | — | 11.9¢ |
| Regular Residential (Rate 30)time-of-use | $11.32 | +$0.00 | 11.9¢ |
| BES - Residential Multi Family Without Electric Space Heat Delivery Classtime-of-use · delivery charges only | $11.92 | +$0.60 | 13.4¢ |
| BES - Residential Single Family Without Electric Space Heat Delivery Classtime-of-use · delivery charges only | $13.36 | +$2.04 | 15.4¢ |
| RDS - Residential Single Family Without Electric Space Heat Delivery Classtime-of-use · delivery charges only | $21.84 | +$10.52 | 23.3¢ |
Cost across usage levels
The cheapest plan at each consumption level, showing whether the ranking holds as usage changes.
- Lighter use — cheapest $6.16 (Regular Residential (Rate 30)), dearest $6.16
- Average — cheapest $11.32 (Regular Residential - Southern View (Rate 31)), dearest $11.32, a $0.00 spread
- Heavier use — cheapest $15.36 (Regular Residential (Rate 30)), dearest $15.36
What a microwave costs here
Across 24 plans priced in Illinois, a microwave adds $11.32 to $11.32 a year — $0.94 to $0.94 a month. The median plan puts a microwave at $11.32 a year.
Cheapest for a microwave: Regular Residential - Southern View (Rate 31), City of Springfield, Illinois (Utility Company). Dearest: Regular Residential (Rate 30), City of Springfield, Illinois (Utility Company).
Those 106 kWh are billed at 10.7¢–10.7¢, against a 11.9¢ whole-bill average on the median plan, so on these plans the two rates are close.
What Illinois homes use
EIA's 2020 residential survey found 106 kWh a year across 512 sampled homes that run one, near the national 107 kWh. The middle half spans 58 kWh to 145 kWh, so a microwave varies by 87 kWh between one household and another.
Cooking and reheating, plus the standby draw of the clock and panel. That average covers homes with a microwave — 96% of homes here.
That makes a microwave about 1% of the electricity an Illinois home uses. The remaining 8,345 kWh is what a microwave is billed on top of, and on a tiered or time-of-use plan that is what sets the rate it meets.
Light and heavy use of a microwave
A household in the lighter quarter runs a microwave for 58 kWh a year and pays $6.16 on the cheapest plan. One in the heavier quarter runs it for 145 kWh and pays $15.36 — $9.20 more for a microwave on the same tariff.
Limits
A 2020 survey average for Illinois, not a measurement of any one home, priced against the 24 Illinois tariffs WattClear has ingested — not every plan sold there.
New to these terms? The methodology page explains tiered bands, time-of-use periods and fixed charges, and sets out exactly what the rate engine assumes.
Estimate — your actual bill may differ.
Tariff structures from NREL/OpenEI Utility Rate Database (CC0 1.0), retrieved September 2, 2026.
Location resolved through the US Census Bureau Geocoder (Public domain) at 39.7817, -89.6501.