kitchen · 200W typical

Running a slow cooker / crock-pot costs about $3.96/month.

That's the typical slow cooker / crock-pot at 200W, run 8 hours a day at the US-average rate of 16.5¢/kWh. Change any of those and the number moves — use the calculator below to see yours.

Estimated cost

$3.96/month

$0.13 per day$48.18 per year24.0 kWh monthly

Wattage

Hours / day

Your rate

A slow cooker / crock-pot draws full power only while the thermostat/compressor is running — about 4.0 effective hours at 200W across your 8-hour window.

How you use it

Cost shifts with how long it's on.

The same slow cooker / crock-pot can cost very different amounts depending on usage patterns. Three common scenarios, at the US-average rate.

8-hour low workday

$3.96

per month

running all day on low while at work

8 hrs/day·$48.18/yr

4-hour high

$1.98

per month

faster weekend cook time

4 hrs/day·$24.09/yr

Where you live

$7.18 spread between the cheapest and priciest states.

Same appliance, same hours of use, different zip code — the monthly cost varies this much.

State	Rate	Monthly	Yearly
Hawaii	41.2¢	$9.89	$120.30
California	31.4¢	$7.54	$91.69
Massachusetts	30.8¢	$7.39	$89.94
Connecticut	28.7¢	$6.89	$83.80
Rhode Island	27.9¢	$6.70	$81.47
New Hampshire	24.6¢	$5.90	$71.83
Alaska	24.3¢	$5.83	$70.96
New York	22.3¢	$5.35	$65.12
Maine	22.1¢	$5.30	$64.53
Vermont	21.5¢	$5.16	$62.78
Michigan	19.3¢	$4.63	$56.36
New Jersey	19.1¢	$4.58	$55.77
Maryland	18.4¢	$4.42	$53.73
Pennsylvania	18.1¢	$4.34	$52.85
District of Columbia	17.8¢	$4.27	$51.98
Wisconsin	17.4¢	$4.18	$50.81
Delaware	17.2¢	$4.13	$50.22
Illinois	16.9¢	$4.06	$49.35
Ohio	16.6¢	$3.98	$48.47
Nevada	16.3¢	$3.91	$47.60
Indiana	15.8¢	$3.79	$46.14
Virginia	15.7¢	$3.77	$45.84
Minnesota	15.6¢	$3.74	$45.55
Colorado	15.4¢	$3.70	$44.97
Alabama	15.2¢	$3.65	$44.38
West Virginia	15.2¢	$3.65	$44.38
Florida	15.1¢	$3.62	$44.09
New Mexico	14.8¢	$3.55	$43.22
Texas	14.8¢	$3.55	$43.22
Arizona	14.7¢	$3.53	$42.92
South Carolina	14.7¢	$3.53	$42.92
Kansas	14.6¢	$3.50	$42.63
Georgia	14.2¢	$3.41	$41.46
Iowa	14.1¢	$3.38	$41.17
North Carolina	13.9¢	$3.34	$40.59
Missouri	13.6¢	$3.26	$39.71
Oregon	13.4¢	$3.22	$39.13
Tennessee	13.3¢	$3.19	$38.84
Kentucky	13.2¢	$3.17	$38.54
Mississippi	13.1¢	$3.14	$38.25
Oklahoma	13.1¢	$3.14	$38.25
South Dakota	12.7¢	$3.05	$37.08
Montana	12.4¢	$2.98	$36.21
Nebraska	12.2¢	$2.93	$35.62
Arkansas	12.1¢	$2.90	$35.33
Washington	12.1¢	$2.90	$35.33
Louisiana	11.9¢	$2.86	$34.75
Wyoming	11.6¢	$2.78	$33.87
North Dakota	11.5¢	$2.76	$33.58
Utah	11.4¢	$2.74	$33.29
Idaho	11.3¢	$2.71	$33.00

Efficient vs. inefficient

A $48.18/year difference across the wattage range.

Swapping a high-draw model for an efficient one pays for itself. Here's what that looks like annually at typical usage.

Most efficient

100W

$1.98 per month

$24.09 per year

Typical

200W

$3.96 per month

$48.18 per year

High draw

300W

$5.94 per month

$72.27 per year

When it hits hardest

winter peak

Heaviest fall and winter use for stews and chilis.

Ways to cut the cost

1
Use low setting — uses less energy even over a longer cook time
Low setting draws ~120W vs 240W on high
2
Keep lid on — every peek adds 15-20 min of cook time
Saves 10-15% of total cycle energy
3
Use the smallest cooker that fits your meal
6-quart cookers use 2x the watts of 3-quart

Real-world wattages

Pulled from actual spec sheets.

Brand	Model	Watts
Crock-Pot	SCCPVL610-S-A 6-quart	240W
Hamilton Beach	33195 Set & Forget	210W
Cuisinart	PSC-350	160W

Picks that actually move the needle

Three products worth comparing if you're thinking about upgrading or supplementing what you have.

Some links below are affiliate links. If you buy, we may earn a small commission — it never changes the price you pay, and we only recommend picks we would stand behind.

Crock-Pot 6-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker

Programmable cuts runtime by auto-switching to warm

$40-60

Slow Cooker Liner Pack (50)

Less cleanup means less warm-mode overrun

$15-20

Smart Plug with Timer

Auto-off prevents 2-4 hours of unnecessary warm

$18-25