What a microwave costs to run in Washington
Washington homes use 114 kWh a year on a microwave. Priced on top of the rest of the bill, that costs $6.00 to $17.40 a year across 22 published Washington plans — a $11.40 gap. Checked September 2, 2026.
Not indexed. This page does not yet meet the site’s own publication threshold — 83.8% similar to /cost-to-run/refrigerator/washington, limit 82%. It is shown because the data behind it is real, not because it is complete.
Every priced plan, average
| Plan | Per year | vs cheapest | Effective |
|---|---|---|---|
| Schedule RLC - Residential Low-Income: Citytime-of-use · tiered · low-income rate | $5.89 | −$0.11 | 4.4¢ |
| Schedule RLS-Residential Low-Income: Suburbantime-of-use · tiered · low-income rate | $5.89 | −$0.11 | 4.4¢ |
| Schedule RES-Residential Elderly/Disabled: Suburbantime-of-use · tiered · elderly or disabled customers only | $5.89 | −$0.11 | 4.4¢ |
| Schedule REC - Residential Elderly/Disabled: Citytime-of-use · tiered · elderly or disabled customers only | $5.95 | −$0.05 | 4.4¢ |
| RESIDENTIAL - SCHEDULE 35✓ cheapesttiered | $6.00 | — | 5.9¢ |
| Schedule REB-Residential Elderly/Disabled: Burientime-of-use · tiered · elderly or disabled customers only | $6.17 | +$0.17 | 4.5¢ |
| Schedule RLB-Residential Low Income: Burientime-of-use · tiered · low-income rate | $6.23 | +$0.23 | 4.5¢ |
| Schedule RET-Residential Elderly/Disabled: Tukwilatime-of-use · tiered · elderly or disabled customers only | $6.24 | +$0.24 | 4.6¢ |
| Schedule RLT-Residential Low-Income: Tukwilatime-of-use · tiered · low-income rate | $6.25 | +$0.25 | 4.6¢ |
| Schedule RLH- Residential Low-Income: Shorelinetime-of-use · tiered · low-income rate | $6.29 | +$0.29 | 4.6¢ |
| Schedule REH- Residential Elderly/Disabled: Shorelinetime-of-use · tiered · elderly or disabled customers only | $6.29 | +$0.29 | 4.6¢ |
| Schedule RLE-Residential Low Income: SeaTactime-of-use · tiered · low-income rate | $6.29 | +$0.29 | 4.6¢ |
| Schedule REE-Residential Elderly/Disabled: SeaTactime-of-use · tiered · elderly or disabled customers only | $6.29 | +$0.29 | 4.6¢ |
| Schedule RSC - Residential: Seattleflat rate | $15.84 | +$9.84 | 15.3¢ |
| Schedule RSE-Residential: Rentonflat rate | $16.08 | +$10.08 | 15.5¢ |
| Schedule RSL-Residential: Normandy Parkflat rate | $17.16 | +$11.16 | 16.4¢ |
| Schedule RST-Residential: Tukwilaflat rate | $17.28 | +$11.28 | 16.6¢ |
| Schedule RSE-Residential: SeaTacflat rate | $17.40 | +$11.40 | 16.7¢ |
| Schedule RSB-Residential: Burienflat rate | $17.40 | +$11.40 | 16.7¢ |
| Schedule RSH-Residential: Shorelineflat rate | $17.40 | +$11.40 | 16.7¢ |
| Schedule RSB-Residential: King Countyflat rate | $17.40 | +$11.40 | 16.7¢ |
| Schedule RSL-Residential: Lake Forest Parkflat rate | $17.40 | +$11.40 | 16.7¢ |
Cost across usage levels
The cheapest plan at each consumption level, showing whether the ranking holds as usage changes.
- Lighter use — cheapest $3.36 (RESIDENTIAL - SCHEDULE 35), dearest $9.60, a $6.24 spread
- Average — cheapest $6.00 (RESIDENTIAL - SCHEDULE 35), dearest $17.40, a $11.40 spread
- Heavier use — cheapest $7.92 (RESIDENTIAL - SCHEDULE 35), dearest $22.92, a $15.00 spread
What a microwave costs here
Across 22 plans priced in Washington, a microwave adds $6.00 to $17.40 a year — $0.50 to $1.45 a month. The median plan puts a microwave at $17.34 a year.
Cheapest for a microwave: RESIDENTIAL - SCHEDULE 35, Modern Electric Water Company. Dearest: Schedule RSL-Residential: Lake Forest Park, City of Seattle, Washington (Utility Company).
Those 114 kWh are billed at 5.3¢–15.3¢, against a 16.6¢ whole-bill average on the median plan, so on these plans the two rates are close.
What Washington homes use
EIA's 2020 residential survey found 114 kWh a year across 413 sampled homes that run one, near the national 107 kWh. The middle half spans 63 kWh to 150 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 — 94% of homes here.
That makes a microwave about 1% of the electricity a Washington home uses. The remaining 10,876 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 Washington provider's cheapest plan: Modern Electric Water Company, $6.00; City of Seattle, Washington (Utility Company), $15.84.
City of Seattle, Washington (Utility Company) charges $9.84 a year more than Modern Electric Water Company on RESIDENTIAL - SCHEDULE 35 for the same 114 kWh.
Light and heavy use of a microwave
A household in the lighter quarter runs a microwave for 63 kWh a year and pays $3.36 on the cheapest plan. One in the heavier quarter runs it for 150 kWh and pays $7.92 — $4.56 more for a microwave on the same tariff.
Limits
A 2020 survey average for Washington, not a measurement of any one home, priced against the 22 Washington 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 47.6588, -117.4260.