🍳 Kitchen
How Much Does a Garbage Disposal Cost to Run?
At the current U.S. average rate of 18.8¢/kWh (April 2026), a garbage disposal costs about $0.14 per month at typical usage — 0.05 hours/day.
Per hour
9.4¢
at 400–900 W
Per day
0.5¢
0.05 hours/day
Per month
$0.14
0.8 kWh
Per year
$1.72
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
9.4¢
Per day
0.5¢
Per month
$0.14
Per year
$1.72
Uses 0.8 kWh/month at 18.8¢ 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Dakota | 12.4 | 6.2¢ | 9.4¢ | $1.13 |
| Idaho | 12.7 | 6.3¢ | $0.10 | $1.16 |
| Nebraska | 13.3 | 6.7¢ | $0.10 | $1.21 |
| Oklahoma | 13.3 | 6.7¢ | $0.10 | $1.21 |
| Utah | 13.3 | 6.7¢ | $0.10 | $1.21 |
| Iowa | 13.9 | 7.0¢ | $0.11 | $1.27 |
| Montana | 13.9 | 7.0¢ | $0.11 | $1.27 |
| Missouri | 14.0 | 7.0¢ | $0.11 | $1.28 |
| Arkansas | 14.2 | 7.1¢ | $0.11 | $1.30 |
| Nevada | 14.3 | 7.2¢ | $0.11 | $1.30 |
| Louisiana | 14.4 | 7.2¢ | $0.11 | $1.31 |
| Washington | 14.4 | 7.2¢ | $0.11 | $1.31 |
| South Dakota | 14.5 | 7.2¢ | $0.11 | $1.32 |
| Wyoming | 14.7 | 7.3¢ | $0.11 | $1.34 |
| Tennessee | 14.9 | 7.4¢ | $0.11 | $1.36 |
| Kentucky | 15.0 | 7.5¢ | $0.11 | $1.37 |
| New Mexico | 15.2 | 7.6¢ | $0.12 | $1.39 |
| Florida | 15.4 | 7.7¢ | $0.12 | $1.41 |
| Georgia | 15.4 | 7.7¢ | $0.12 | $1.41 |
| Arizona | 15.5 | 7.8¢ | $0.12 | $1.41 |
| Kansas | 15.8 | 7.9¢ | $0.12 | $1.44 |
| Oregon | 15.8 | 7.9¢ | $0.12 | $1.44 |
| West Virginia | 16.1 | 8.1¢ | $0.12 | $1.47 |
| North Carolina | 16.3 | 8.2¢ | $0.12 | $1.49 |
| Minnesota | 16.4 | 8.2¢ | $0.12 | $1.50 |
| Colorado | 16.5 | 8.3¢ | $0.13 | $1.51 |
| Mississippi | 16.8 | 8.4¢ | $0.13 | $1.53 |
| Texas | 17.0 | 8.5¢ | $0.13 | $1.55 |
| South Carolina | 17.1 | 8.6¢ | $0.13 | $1.56 |
| Alabama | 17.4 | 8.7¢ | $0.13 | $1.59 |
| Virginia | 17.4 | 8.7¢ | $0.13 | $1.59 |
| Indiana | 17.9 | 8.9¢ | $0.14 | $1.63 |
| Delaware | 18.8 | 9.4¢ | $0.14 | $1.72 |
| Wisconsin | 19.2 | $0.10 | $0.15 | $1.75 |
| Ohio | 19.5 | $0.10 | $0.15 | $1.78 |
| Illinois | 20.5 | $0.10 | $0.16 | $1.87 |
| Michigan | 21.4 | $0.11 | $0.16 | $1.95 |
| Pennsylvania | 21.5 | $0.11 | $0.16 | $1.96 |
| Maryland | 22.1 | $0.11 | $0.17 | $2.02 |
| New Jersey | 23.5 | $0.12 | $0.18 | $2.14 |
| Vermont | 24.6 | $0.12 | $0.19 | $2.24 |
| Washington, D.C. | 25.4 | $0.13 | $0.19 | $2.32 |
| New Hampshire | 27.2 | $0.14 | $0.21 | $2.48 |
| Alaska | 27.4 | $0.14 | $0.21 | $2.50 |
| Rhode Island | 28.3 | $0.14 | $0.22 | $2.58 |
| Maine | 28.4 | $0.14 | $0.22 | $2.59 |
| Massachusetts | 29.5 | $0.15 | $0.22 | $2.69 |
| New York | 29.5 | $0.15 | $0.22 | $2.69 |
| Connecticut | 32.2 | $0.16 | $0.24 | $2.94 |
| California | 35.3 | $0.18 | $0.27 | $3.22 |
| Hawaii | 46.6 | $0.23 | $0.35 | $4.25 |
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 18.8¢/kWh, one hour costs about 9.4¢. In North Dakota (12.4¢/kWh) it's 6.2¢, while in Hawaii (46.6¢/kWh) it's $0.23.
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 9.4¢ in North Dakota up to $0.35 in Hawaii. Rates are as of April 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.