How much does it cost to run a garbage disposal?
A garbage disposal drawing 700 watts, used about 3 minutes a day, uses about 0.04 kWh per day and costs about <$0.01 per day, $0.21 per month, and $2.48 per year at the US average residential rate of 19.4¢/kWh. Enter your own wattage, hours, and state below for an exact figure.
Estimates only — based on typical wattages and average state rates, not your actual bill.
What drives the cost
A garbage disposal draws several hundred watts but runs for only seconds at a time, making it one of the cheapest appliances in the house to operate. Its energy cost is essentially a rounding error; the water it uses matters more than the electricity.
Cost at different daily usage
Same garbage disposal at 700 watts, run for different amounts of time, at 19.4¢/kWh.
| Usage | kWh/day | Per day | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 min/day | 0.02 kWh | <$0.01 | $0.12 | $1.49 |
| 3 min/day | 0.04 kWh | <$0.01 | $0.21 | $2.48 |
| 6 min/day | 0.07 kWh | $0.01 | $0.41 | $4.96 |
| 12 min/day | 0.14 kWh | $0.03 | $0.83 | $9.92 |
Cost by model power draw
Not all models are equal. At 3 min/day, here is what the range costs.
| Model | Power | kWh/day | Per day | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low-draw model | 400 W | 0.02 kWh | <$0.01 | $0.12 |
| Typical | 700 W | 0.04 kWh | <$0.01 | $0.21 |
| High-draw model | 1,200 W | 0.06 kWh | $0.01 | $0.35 |
Cost by state
A garbage disposal at 700 W for 3 min/day, priced at each state's average residential rate.
| State | Rate | Per day | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 16.8¢ | <$0.01 | $0.18 | $2.14 |
| Alaska | 28.2¢ | <$0.01 | $0.30 | $3.61 |
| Arizona | 15.2¢ | <$0.01 | $0.16 | $1.95 |
| Arkansas | 14.4¢ | <$0.01 | $0.15 | $1.83 |
| California | 33.2¢ | $0.01 | $0.35 | $4.25 |
| Colorado | 16.2¢ | <$0.01 | $0.17 | $2.06 |
| Connecticut | 27.4¢ | <$0.01 | $0.29 | $3.50 |
| Delaware | 19.4¢ | <$0.01 | $0.21 | $2.48 |
| District of Columbia | 25.4¢ | <$0.01 | $0.27 | $3.24 |
| Florida | 15.2¢ | <$0.01 | $0.16 | $1.94 |
| Georgia | 15.8¢ | <$0.01 | $0.17 | $2.02 |
| Hawaii | 52.0¢ | $0.02 | $0.55 | $6.64 |
| Idaho | 12.3¢ | <$0.01 | $0.13 | $1.58 |
| Illinois | 23.9¢ | <$0.01 | $0.25 | $3.05 |
| Indiana | 18.1¢ | <$0.01 | $0.19 | $2.32 |
| Iowa | 14.1¢ | <$0.01 | $0.15 | $1.81 |
| Kansas | 15.1¢ | <$0.01 | $0.16 | $1.93 |
| Kentucky | 15.0¢ | <$0.01 | $0.16 | $1.91 |
| Louisiana | 14.2¢ | <$0.01 | $0.15 | $1.81 |
| Maine | 28.6¢ | $0.01 | $0.31 | $3.66 |
| Maryland | 21.8¢ | <$0.01 | $0.23 | $2.78 |
| Massachusetts | 28.8¢ | $0.01 | $0.31 | $3.68 |
| Michigan | 22.0¢ | <$0.01 | $0.23 | $2.81 |
| Minnesota | 16.9¢ | <$0.01 | $0.18 | $2.17 |
| Mississippi | 16.2¢ | <$0.01 | $0.17 | $2.06 |
| Missouri | 13.7¢ | <$0.01 | $0.15 | $1.75 |
| Montana | 14.7¢ | <$0.01 | $0.16 | $1.87 |
| Nebraska | 13.6¢ | <$0.01 | $0.14 | $1.74 |
| Nevada | 13.6¢ | <$0.01 | $0.14 | $1.74 |
| New Hampshire | 27.3¢ | <$0.01 | $0.29 | $3.49 |
| New Jersey | 23.3¢ | <$0.01 | $0.25 | $2.97 |
| New Mexico | 14.1¢ | <$0.01 | $0.15 | $1.80 |
| New York | 29.9¢ | $0.01 | $0.32 | $3.82 |
| North Carolina | 15.1¢ | <$0.01 | $0.16 | $1.93 |
| North Dakota | 13.6¢ | <$0.01 | $0.15 | $1.74 |
| Ohio | 19.5¢ | <$0.01 | $0.21 | $2.49 |
| Oklahoma | 13.4¢ | <$0.01 | $0.14 | $1.71 |
| Oregon | 16.3¢ | <$0.01 | $0.17 | $2.08 |
| Pennsylvania | 21.6¢ | <$0.01 | $0.23 | $2.75 |
| Rhode Island | 29.5¢ | $0.01 | $0.31 | $3.76 |
| South Carolina | 16.2¢ | <$0.01 | $0.17 | $2.07 |
| South Dakota | 15.7¢ | <$0.01 | $0.17 | $2.01 |
| Tennessee | 14.5¢ | <$0.01 | $0.15 | $1.85 |
| Texas | 16.4¢ | <$0.01 | $0.18 | $2.10 |
| Utah | 13.0¢ | <$0.01 | $0.14 | $1.66 |
| Vermont | 24.9¢ | <$0.01 | $0.27 | $3.18 |
| Virginia | 17.6¢ | <$0.01 | $0.19 | $2.25 |
| Washington | 14.9¢ | <$0.01 | $0.16 | $1.91 |
| West Virginia | 16.8¢ | <$0.01 | $0.18 | $2.15 |
| Wisconsin | 19.7¢ | <$0.01 | $0.21 | $2.52 |
| Wyoming | 14.8¢ | <$0.01 | $0.16 | $1.89 |
How to cut the cost
- Nothing here will change your bill meaningfully — focus effort on heating, cooling, and water heating.
- Run cold water while grinding to protect the motor and pipes, not to save energy.
Compare with related appliances
Monthly cost at typical usage and 19.4¢/kWh.
Questions
Do garbage disposals use much electricity?
Almost none. Even daily use amounts to a few minutes of run time a month.
How do you calculate what a garbage disposal costs to run?
Multiply its wattage by the hours it runs per day, divide by 1,000 to get kilowatt-hours, then multiply by your electricity rate. For a garbage disposal: 700 W × 0.05 h ÷ 1,000 = 0.04 kWh per day, which at 19.4¢/kWh is <$0.01 per day.
How many watts does a garbage disposal use?
Typically 700 watts, with most models falling between 400 and 1,200 watts. The label on the appliance or its power supply gives the figure for your specific unit.