What a microwave costs to run in New York
New York homes use 90 kWh a year on a microwave. Priced on top of the rest of the bill, that costs $3.52 to $39.09 a year across 83 published New York plans — a $35.57 gap. Checked September 2, 2026.
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Cheapest 25 of 83 priced plans, average
| Plan | Per year | vs cheapest | Effective |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residential✓ cheapesttime-of-use · tiered | $3.52 | — | 3.2¢ |
| SC1C (TOU)- All Zones Deliverytime-of-use · delivery charges only | $4.32 | +$0.80 | 10.1¢ |
| SC1- Delivery Only Service Low Income Rateflat rate · low-income rate | $5.28 | +$1.76 | 7.9¢ |
| SC-1 Residential & Religious Optional Demand-Based (Rate IV) - [NYC]demand charge | $5.39 | +$1.87 | 11.0¢ |
| SC-1 Residential & Religious Optional Demand-Based (Rate IV) - [Westchester]demand charge | $5.39 | +$1.87 | 11.0¢ |
| All Regions - SERVICE CLASSIFICATION NO. 12 Residential Service TOU-ESCOtime-of-use · delivery charges only | $6.00 | +$2.48 | 11.8¢ |
| All Regions - SERVICE CLASSIFICATION NO. 8 Residential - Day Night Service - ESCOflat rate · delivery charges only | $6.96 | +$3.44 | 11.6¢ |
| SERVICE CLASSIFICATION NO. 4 RESIDENTIAL SERVICE - TIME-OF-USE RATE RSS - Schedule Itime-of-use | $7.20 | +$3.68 | 12.8¢ |
| SERVICE CLASSIFICATION NO. 1 - RESIDENTIAL SERVICE ESCO Retail Optionflat rate · delivery charges only | $7.56 | +$4.04 | 11.7¢ |
| SC1- Delivery Only Serviceflat rate · delivery charges only | $7.68 | +$4.16 | 11.6¢ |
| SC1C (TOU)- Zone Dtime-of-use | $7.84 | +$4.32 | 14.0¢ |
| SC1C (TOU)- Zone Btime-of-use | $7.96 | +$4.44 | 14.2¢ |
| SC1C (VTOU)- Zone Atime-of-use | $8.40 | +$4.88 | 12.3¢ |
| SC1C (TOU)- Zone Etime-of-use | $8.40 | +$4.88 | 14.6¢ |
| SERVICE CLASSIFICATION NO. 1 - RESIDENTIAL SERVICE RSSflat rate | $8.40 | +$4.88 | 13.5¢ |
| SERVICE CLASSIFICATION NO. 4 RESIDENTIAL SERVICE - TIME-OF-USE RATE RSS - Schedule IItime-of-use | $8.52 | +$5.00 | 15.0¢ |
| SC1- Zone D Low Income Rateflat rate · low-income rate | $8.52 | +$5.00 | 11.5¢ |
| SC1C (VTOU)- Zone Btime-of-use | $8.52 | +$5.00 | 12.5¢ |
| SC1C (VTOU)- Zone Dtime-of-use | $8.52 | +$5.00 | 12.3¢ |
| SC1- Zone B Low Income Rateflat rate · low-income rate | $8.76 | +$5.24 | 11.9¢ |
| SC1C (VTOU)- Zone Ctime-of-use | $8.76 | +$5.24 | 12.7¢ |
| SC1- Zone C Low Income Rateflat rate · low-income rate | $8.88 | +$5.36 | 12.0¢ |
| SC1- Zone E Low Income Rateflat rate · low-income rate | $8.88 | +$5.36 | 12.0¢ |
| SC1C (VTOU)- Zone Etime-of-use | $9.00 | +$5.48 | 12.9¢ |
| SC1- Zone A Low Income Rateflat rate · low-income rate | $9.36 | +$5.84 | 12.6¢ |
58 further schedules are published and priced but not listed here — mostly regional and seasonal variants of the plans above. The dearest of them costs $39.09 a year at this usage.
Cost across usage levels
The cheapest plan at each consumption level, showing whether the ranking holds as usage changes.
- Lighter use — cheapest $2.00 (Residential), dearest $21.82, a $19.82 spread
- Average — cheapest $3.52 (Residential), dearest $39.09, a $35.57 spread
- Heavier use — cheapest $4.46 (Residential), dearest $49.91, a $45.45 spread
What a microwave costs here
Across 83 plans priced in New York, a microwave adds $3.52 to $39.09 a year — $0.29 to $3.26 a month. The median plan puts a microwave at $15.35 a year.
Cheapest for a microwave: Residential, City of Plattsburgh, New York (Utility Company). Dearest: SC-1 Residential & Religious Vountary TOD (Rate II) - Zone J [NYC], Consolidated Edison Co-NY Inc.
Those 90 kWh are billed at 3.9¢–43.4¢, against a 20.3¢ 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 23.1¢ per kWh.
What New York homes use
EIA's 2020 residential survey found 90 kWh a year across 833 sampled homes that run one, 16% under the national 107 kWh. The middle half spans 50 kWh to 115 kWh, so a microwave varies by 65 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 — 91% of homes here.
That makes a microwave about 1% of the electricity a New York home uses. The remaining 6,826 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.
By provider
On each New York provider's cheapest plan: City of Plattsburgh, New York (Utility Company), $3.52; Consolidated Edison Co-NY Inc, $5.39; Rochester Gas & Electric Corp, $7.20; Niagara Mohawk Power Corp., $7.84; Long Island Power Authority, $12.53; New York State Elec & Gas Corp, $15.72.
New York State Elec & Gas Corp charges $12.20 a year more than City of Plattsburgh, New York (Utility Company) on Residential for the same 90 kWh.
Light and heavy use of a microwave
A household in the lighter quarter runs a microwave for 50 kWh a year and pays $2.00 on the cheapest plan. One in the heavier quarter runs it for 115 kWh and pays $4.46 — $2.46 more for a microwave on the same tariff.
Limits
A 2020 survey average for New York, not a measurement of any one home, priced against the 83 New York 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 44.6995, -73.4529.