How many watts does a house use?
A house in the US uses about 10,356–10,791 kWh a year, an average draw of 1,182–1,232 watts around the clock. Peak demand is far higher, and the service size is based on it.
House watts, amps and circuit
| Average draw over a year | 1,182–1,232 W |
|---|---|
| Voltage | 240 V |
| Energy per year | 10,356–10,791 kWh |
| Energy per day, average | 28.4–29.6 kWh |
| Cost per year at $0.18/kWh | $1,864–$1,942 |
Also called: average house, normal house, typical house, average home.
What it costs to run a house
A house uses 10,356–10,791 kWh a year, which costs $1,864–$1,942 a year at $0.18 per kWh, the US average residential price for August 2026, or about $155–$162 a month.
Your bill's total ÷ kWh used. 0.18 is the US residential average.
- Per day
- $5.21
- Per year
- $1,903
- Energy per day
- 28.97 kWh
- Energy per month
- 881.1 kWh
How it is calculated
- kWh per day = 1,207 W × 24 h ÷ 1,000 = 28.968
- Per month = 28.968 kWh × 30.4 days × $0.18 = $159
What affects house power use
A house is not one constant load: the draw jumps from a few hundred watts at night to many kilowatts when the AC, dryer and oven run together. The average draw is the yearly energy use of a typical US home spread over every hour of the year. Climate, home size, and electric heating or cooling move the total far up or down.