What a microwave costs to run in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania homes use 108 kWh a year on a microwave. Priced on top of the rest of the bill, that costs $10.80 to $24.24 a year across 11 published Pennsylvania plans — a $13.44 gap. Checked September 2, 2026.
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Every priced plan, average
| Plan | Per year | vs cheapest | Effective |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residential Service Add-On Heat Pumptime-of-use · needs a heat pump | $7.49 | −$3.31 | 8.4¢ |
| Residential Service Heatingtime-of-use · needs electric heating | $10.38 | −$0.42 | 11.2¢ |
| Residential Service✓ cheapestflat rate | $10.80 | — | 11.5¢ |
| Residential Heating Service (RH)time-of-use · needs electric heating | $10.92 | +$0.12 | 11.4¢ |
| Residential Service (R)flat rate | $12.60 | +$1.80 | 13.0¢ |
| Residential Service Add-On Heat Pumptime-of-use · needs a heat pump | $21.18 | +$10.38 | 21.1¢ |
| Residential Heating Service (RH)time-of-use · needs electric heating | $21.96 | +$11.16 | 21.6¢ |
| Residential Service Heatingtime-of-use · needs electric heating | $22.62 | +$11.82 | 22.4¢ |
| Residential Service (R) - TOUtime-of-use | $23.28 | +$12.48 | 22.9¢ |
| Residential Service (R)flat rate | $23.64 | +$12.84 | 23.2¢ |
| Residential Serviceflat rate | $24.24 | +$13.44 | 23.9¢ |
Cost across usage levels
The cheapest plan at each consumption level, showing whether the ranking holds as usage changes.
- Lighter use — cheapest $5.88 (Residential Service), dearest $13.08, a $7.20 spread
- Average — cheapest $10.80 (Residential Service), dearest $24.24, a $13.44 spread
- Heavier use — cheapest $13.80 (Residential Service), dearest $30.96, a $17.16 spread
What a microwave costs here
Across 11 plans priced in Pennsylvania, a microwave adds $10.80 to $24.24 a year — $0.90 to $2.02 a month. The median plan puts a microwave at $23.28 a year.
Cheapest for a microwave: Residential Service, Duquesne Light Co. Dearest: Residential Service, Duquesne Light Co.
Those 108 kWh are billed at 10.0¢–22.4¢, against a 22.9¢ whole-bill average on the median plan, so on these plans the two rates are close.
What Pennsylvania homes use
EIA's 2020 residential survey found 108 kWh a year across 598 sampled homes that run one, near the national 107 kWh. The middle half spans 58 kWh to 138 kWh, so a microwave varies by 80 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 — 97% of homes here.
That makes a microwave about 1% of the electricity a Pennsylvania home uses. The remaining 10,140 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 Pennsylvania provider's cheapest plan: Duquesne Light Co, $10.80; PECO Energy Co, $12.60.
PECO Energy Co charges $1.80 a year more than Duquesne Light Co on Residential Service for the same 108 kWh.
Light and heavy use of a microwave
A household in the lighter quarter runs a microwave for 58 kWh a year and pays $5.88 on the cheapest plan. One in the heavier quarter runs it for 138 kWh and pays $13.80 — $7.92 more for a microwave on the same tariff.
Limits
A 2020 survey average for Pennsylvania, not a measurement of any one home, priced against the 11 Pennsylvania 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 40.4406, -79.9959.