Find a line that is already priced per kWh
Look for a number labeled as a price, rate, energy rate, usage rate, generation rate, supply rate, or rate per kWh. A rate per kWh is the price for one kilowatt-hour of use. Enter it at the precision shown on the bill or plan, then choose how the source writes the money amount. For example, enter 0.153 as a currency amount or 15.3 as cents or pence only when that matches the way your source presents it.
Check the plan name and effective dates, not just the supplier's advertised price. A current offer may not be the tariff that applied to your use. Ask the supplier to identify your plan's rate if the statement is unclear.
Check whether supply and delivery are separate
A supply or generation rate may cover only part of the usage price. If your plan lists separate supply and delivery prices per kWh for the same use, add the components you want to include. In an illustrative example, 0.10 for supply plus 0.06 for delivery gives 0.16 per kWh. Do not add either component again when a listed combined rate already includes it. Keep fixed daily or monthly charges separate, and note whether taxes or other adjustments are included.
For a real example of why the boundary matters, SCE's tiered-plan explanation identifies rates that include both delivery and generation. That is an example of bill structure, not a rate recommendation for your household.
Use the price that applied during the selected period
Write down when the appliance or measured kWh period occurred before choosing a rate. The aim is not to recreate every billing rule; it is to select a rate that belongs to the use you are pricing.
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| Rate you found | What to enter | What to keep with the result |
|---|---|---|
| One flat rate per kWh | Enter the listed rate. | The bill or plan period where it applies. |
| A time-of-use rate | Price each window's kWh at its own rate, then add the costs if use crosses windows. | The time windows and kWh split. An equal average of two rates is valid only for equal kWh at each rate. |
| A tiered rate | For added appliance use, start from the household's use without it and price the added kWh in the tier or tiers reached. | The household usage assumption and tier threshold. If the tier is unknown, show a range rather than one precise cost. |
| A blended figure with no clearer rate | Use it only as a broad fallback after checking what the figure includes. | The source line and the reason a listed rate was unavailable. |
Illustrative tier crossing: suppose the first 300 kWh cost 0.20 each and later kWh cost 0.30. A household at 280 kWh that adds 40 kWh uses 20 in each tier. The added cost is (20 x 0.20) + (20 x 0.30) = 10.00, not 40 x either rate. These are teaching rates, not a supplier tariff, and exclude fixed charges and taxes.
When no per-kWh price is visible
Divide an identified usage charge by its matching kWh, not the total amount due. For example, an illustrative supply charge of 45.00 for 300 kWh gives 45.00 / 300 = 0.15 per kWh for supply only. This is an average for that charge and period; it is not necessarily the rate for the next kWh on a tiered or time-of-use plan. Use the bill-input guide if you cannot isolate a matching charge and energy amount.
Send the selected rate to the right calculation
- Use the kWh to Cost Calculator when the kWh amount is already known for a named period.
- Use the Appliance Electricity Cost Calculator when watts and active time are the stronger inputs.
- Use How to Calculate Electricity Cost from Watts when you need to work from watts before pricing the result.
Keep rate selection separate from bill reconciliation
A selected rate prices the kWh or appliance use you enter. If the result differs from the full electricity bill, keep the rate source and billing or measurement period visible, then use the bill-difference guide to examine that comparison without changing the rate field into a bill-total field.