How much does an electric shower cost to run?
About 33p a run on a standard tariff, or around £122 a year at 7 times a week. Less at the right time on a time-of-use tariff.
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An electric shower heats water as it flows, so it draws a lot of power, typically 8.5 to 10.5 kilowatts, but only while you're in it. An eight-minute shower uses a little over a unit. The length of the shower is the whole story.
How we work it out
A typical electric shower uses about 1.27kWh for 9.5kw shower for 8 minutes, taking around 8 minutes. Electricity on a standard variable tariff costs about 26p a unit across Great Britain at the moment (it varies a little by region), so one run comes to about 33p. Your own model may use more or less: the energy label, or a plug-in energy monitor, will tell you.
If you're on a tariff where the price changes through the day, such as Agile Octopus, Economy 7 or an electric car tariff, the same run can cost much less at the right time. The Cheap Watts tool finds that time for you on your own tariff.
How to spend less
- A four-minute shower costs half an eight-minute one. A timer in the bathroom helps.
- Turn the temperature down a touch; the shower draws less power at lower settings.
- If you have a combi boiler on gas, a mixer shower from it is usually cheaper per minute.
Worth a look
- Shower timer (Amazon, opens in a new tab)
A four-minute shower costs half an eight-minute one.
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