🍳 Kitchen
How Much Does a Garbage Disposal Cost to Run?
At the current U.S. average rate of 18.3¢/kWh (July 2026), a garbage disposal costs about $0.14 per month at typical usage — 0.05 hours/day.
Per hour
9.2¢
at 400–900 W
Per day
0.5¢
0.05 hours/day
Per month
$0.14
0.8 kWh
Per year
$1.67
9.1 kWh
A disposal grinds for seconds at a time, adding up to mere minutes of runtime a month. Its electricity cost is effectively zero next to the water it runs with.
Calculate it for your home
Per hour
9.2¢
Per day
0.5¢
Per month
$0.14
Per year
$1.67
Uses 0.8 kWh/month at 18.3¢ per kWh.
Cheapest and most expensive states
Monthly cost at typical usage, using each state's current average residential rate.
Cost in every state
| State | Rate (¢/kWh) | Per hour | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | 12.7 | 6.3¢ | $0.10 | $1.16 |
| Nevada | 12.8 | 6.4¢ | $0.10 | $1.17 |
| Utah | 13.1 | 6.6¢ | $0.10 | $1.20 |
| North Dakota | 13.4 | 6.7¢ | $0.10 | $1.22 |
| Idaho | 13.7 | 6.8¢ | $0.10 | $1.25 |
| Tennessee | 13.7 | 6.8¢ | $0.10 | $1.25 |
| Kentucky | 13.8 | 6.9¢ | $0.10 | $1.26 |
| Nebraska | 13.8 | 6.9¢ | $0.10 | $1.26 |
| Arkansas | 14.3 | 7.2¢ | $0.11 | $1.30 |
| Oklahoma | 14.4 | 7.2¢ | $0.11 | $1.31 |
| Wyoming | 14.4 | 7.2¢ | $0.11 | $1.31 |
| Mississippi | 14.5 | 7.2¢ | $0.11 | $1.32 |
| Washington | 14.7 | 7.3¢ | $0.11 | $1.34 |
| Florida | 15.0 | 7.5¢ | $0.11 | $1.37 |
| Montana | 15.0 | 7.5¢ | $0.11 | $1.37 |
| North Carolina | 15.2 | 7.6¢ | $0.12 | $1.39 |
| Kansas | 15.3 | 7.6¢ | $0.12 | $1.40 |
| Arizona | 15.4 | 7.7¢ | $0.12 | $1.41 |
| South Dakota | 15.4 | 7.7¢ | $0.12 | $1.41 |
| South Carolina | 15.5 | 7.8¢ | $0.12 | $1.41 |
| West Virginia | 15.8 | 7.9¢ | $0.12 | $1.44 |
| Texas | 15.9 | 8.0¢ | $0.12 | $1.45 |
| Iowa | 16.0 | 8.0¢ | $0.12 | $1.46 |
| Oregon | 16.0 | 8.0¢ | $0.12 | $1.46 |
| Missouri | 16.1 | 8.1¢ | $0.12 | $1.47 |
| New Mexico | 16.1 | 8.1¢ | $0.12 | $1.47 |
| Georgia | 16.3 | 8.2¢ | $0.12 | $1.49 |
| Alabama | 16.4 | 8.2¢ | $0.12 | $1.50 |
| Indiana | 16.7 | 8.3¢ | $0.13 | $1.52 |
| Colorado | 17.0 | 8.5¢ | $0.13 | $1.55 |
| Minnesota | 17.5 | 8.8¢ | $0.13 | $1.60 |
| Virginia | 17.6 | 8.8¢ | $0.13 | $1.61 |
| Delaware | 18.5 | 9.3¢ | $0.14 | $1.69 |
| Wisconsin | 19.1 | $0.10 | $0.15 | $1.74 |
| Illinois | 19.2 | $0.10 | $0.15 | $1.75 |
| Ohio | 19.5 | $0.10 | $0.15 | $1.78 |
| Maryland | 21.4 | $0.11 | $0.16 | $1.95 |
| Pennsylvania | 21.7 | $0.11 | $0.16 | $1.98 |
| Michigan | 23.1 | $0.12 | $0.18 | $2.11 |
| Vermont | 23.8 | $0.12 | $0.18 | $2.17 |
| Connecticut | 24.2 | $0.12 | $0.18 | $2.21 |
| Washington, D.C. | 25.2 | $0.13 | $0.19 | $2.30 |
| New Jersey | 25.2 | $0.13 | $0.19 | $2.30 |
| New Hampshire | 26.6 | $0.13 | $0.20 | $2.43 |
| Rhode Island | 28.3 | $0.14 | $0.22 | $2.58 |
| Alaska | 28.8 | $0.14 | $0.22 | $2.63 |
| New York | 29.9 | $0.15 | $0.23 | $2.73 |
| Massachusetts | 30.5 | $0.15 | $0.23 | $2.78 |
| Maine | 32.4 | $0.16 | $0.25 | $2.96 |
| California | 33.6 | $0.17 | $0.26 | $3.07 |
| Hawaii | 48.0 | $0.24 | $0.36 | $4.38 |
How to lower the cost
- Match the appliance to the portion: microwave and air fryer beat the big oven for anything small.
- Keep refrigerator coils clean and gaskets tight — it runs 24/7, so small inefficiencies compound.
- Run the dishwasher full and skip heated dry.
Frequently asked questions
How much electricity does a garbage disposal use?
A typical garbage disposal draws about 500 watts in use. At 0.05 hours/day, that works out to roughly 0.0 kWh per day, or 0.8 kWh per month.
How much does it cost to run a garbage disposal for 1 hour?
At the current U.S. average residential rate of 18.3¢/kWh, one hour costs about 9.2¢. In Louisiana (12.7¢/kWh) it's 6.3¢, while in Hawaii (48¢/kWh) it's $0.24.
How much does a garbage disposal cost to run per month?
With typical usage (0.05 hours/day), expect about $0.14 per month at the U.S. average rate — from $0.10 in Louisiana up to $0.36 in Hawaii. Rates are as of July 2026.
Does a garbage disposal use a lot of electricity?
Not really — at typical usage it's under 1% of an average home's monthly consumption. Heating, cooling, hot water, and drying are the loads that move bills.