What a microwave costs to run in New Jersey
New Jersey homes use 96 kWh a year on a microwave. Priced on top of the rest of the bill, that costs $6.60 to $26.28 a year across 10 published New Jersey plans — a $19.68 gap. Checked September 2, 2026.
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Every priced plan, average
| Plan | Per year | vs cheapest | Effective |
|---|---|---|---|
| WHS - Water Heating Storage Serviceflat rate · needs electric heating | $2.16 | −$4.44 | 2.4¢ |
| RHS - Residential Heating Servicetime-of-use · tiered · needs electric heating | $5.84 | −$0.76 | 7.9¢ |
| RS-TOU-3P - Residential TOU 3 Period Service✓ cheapesttime-of-use | $6.60 | — | 7.8¢ |
| RS - Residential Servicetime-of-use · tiered | $7.00 | +$0.40 | 8.1¢ |
| RLM - Residential Load Management (TOU)time-of-use | $8.24 | +$1.64 | 10.6¢ |
| WHS - Water Heating Storage Serviceflat rate · needs electric heating | $9.00 | +$2.40 | 9.6¢ |
| RHS - Residential Heating Servicetime-of-use · tiered · needs electric heating | $19.92 | +$13.32 | 22.3¢ |
| RLM - Residential Load Management (TOU)time-of-use | $19.92 | +$13.32 | 22.8¢ |
| RS-TOU-3P - Residential TOU 3 Period Servicetime-of-use | $24.45 | +$17.85 | 26.4¢ |
| RS - Residential Servicetime-of-use · tiered | $26.28 | +$19.68 | 27.9¢ |
Cost across usage levels
The cheapest plan at each consumption level, showing whether the ranking holds as usage changes.
- Lighter use — cheapest $3.73 (RS-TOU-3P - Residential TOU 3 Period Service), dearest $14.88, a $11.15 spread
- Average — cheapest $6.60 (RS-TOU-3P - Residential TOU 3 Period Service), dearest $26.28, a $19.68 spread
- Heavier use — cheapest $7.93 (RS-TOU-3P - Residential TOU 3 Period Service), dearest $31.52, a $23.59 spread
What a microwave costs here
Across 10 plans priced in New Jersey, a microwave adds $6.60 to $26.28 a year — $0.55 to $2.19 a month. The median plan puts a microwave at $14.08 a year.
Cheapest for a microwave: RS-TOU-3P - Residential TOU 3 Period Service, Public Service Elec & Gas Co. Dearest: RS - Residential Service, Public Service Elec & Gas Co.
Those 96 kWh are billed at 6.9¢–27.5¢, against a 16.7¢ whole-bill average on the median plan: they land in the last tier the household reaches, so the average rate understates them by up to 10.8¢ per kWh.
What New Jersey homes use
EIA's 2020 residential survey found 96 kWh a year across 438 sampled homes that run one, near the national 107 kWh. The middle half spans 54 kWh to 115 kWh, so a microwave varies by 61 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 — 94% of homes here.
That makes a microwave about 1% of the electricity a New Jersey home uses. The remaining 8,209 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 54 kWh a year and pays $3.73 on the cheapest plan. One in the heavier quarter runs it for 115 kWh and pays $7.93 — $4.20 more for a microwave on the same tariff.
Limits
A 2020 survey average for New Jersey, not a measurement of any one home, priced against the 10 New Jersey 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 40.7357, -74.1724.