Appliance Wattage Chart: How Many Watts Do Appliances Use?
Running watts and starting watts for the most common household appliances — from refrigerators and air conditioners to EV chargers. Use it for generator sizing, circuit planning, and estimating energy costs.
How to Read This Chart
Every appliance has two power numbers that matter: running watts (the continuous draw during normal operation) and starting watts (the brief surge when a motor starts).The chart below lists typical ranges for both. A dash (—) in the starting watts column means the appliance is a resistive load — heaters, toasters, and lights draw the same power from the instant they turn on.
Wattage varies by model, size, and age, so treat these as planning figures. Small electronics barely register — a laptop uses less power than a single LED-lit ceiling fixture — while 240V appliances like electric dryers, water heaters, and EV chargers account for most of a home's electrical demand. That is why load calculations, generator sizing, and panel upgrades all revolve around the big motor and heating loads.
Tip: To convert any appliance's wattage into monthly operating cost, use our appliance cost calculator or energy cost calculator.
Appliance Wattage Chart by Category
Typical running and starting wattages for common household appliances. “—” = resistive load with no starting surge.
| Appliance | Running Watts | Starting Watts |
|---|---|---|
| Kitchen | ||
| Refrigerator | 150–700 W | 2,200 W |
| Freezer | 300–700 W | 2,000 W |
| Microwave | 600–1,500 W | — |
| Dishwasher | 1,200–1,500 W | 3,000 W |
| Electric range (per burner) | 1,500–3,000 W | — |
| Electric oven | 2,000–5,000 W | — |
| Coffee maker | 900–1,200 W | — |
| Toaster | 800–1,500 W | — |
| Laundry | ||
| Washing machine | 500–1,200 W | 2,300 W |
| Electric dryer | 5,000–5,600 W | 6,750 W |
| Gas dryer | 700 W | 1,800 W |
| Heating & Cooling | ||
| Central air conditioner (3-ton) | 3,500 W | 8,000+ W |
| Window air conditioner | 500–1,500 W | 3,600 W |
| Space heater | 750–1,500 W | — |
| Furnace blower | 800 W | 2,350 W |
| Heat pump | 3,000–5,000 W | 6,500+ W |
| Ceiling fan | 60–75 W | — |
| Water | ||
| Electric water heater (tank) | 4,500 W | — |
| Tankless electric water heater | 18,000–36,000 W | — |
| Well pump (1/2 HP) | 1,000 W | 2,100 W |
| Sump pump | 800 W | 1,300 W |
| Electronics & Lighting | ||
| TV (LED) | 60–150 W | — |
| Desktop computer | 200–500 W | — |
| Laptop | 50–100 W | — |
| LED light bulb | 9–15 W | — |
| EV charger (Level 2) | 7,200–11,500 W | — |
Running Watts vs Starting Watts
Motor-driven appliances briefly draw 2 to 4 times their running wattage when the motor starts.An electric motor at standstill is essentially a short circuit — it pulls a large inrush current for a second or two until the rotor comes up to speed. A refrigerator that runs on 700 watts can demand 2,200 watts at compressor start; a 3-ton central air conditioner running at 3,500 watts can surge past 8,000 watts.
This matters in two places. Generator sizing: a generator must supply the largest starting surge on top of everything already running, or it will stall or trip its breaker — this is why generator sizing always works from starting watts, not just running watts. Circuit design: motor inrush is why breakers on motor circuits are time-delay rated and why a window AC starting can momentarily dim lights on the same circuit.
Resistive loads — electric heaters, water heaters, ranges, toasters, incandescent lighting — have no meaningful surge. Their starting and running wattages are the same, so the chart shows a dash.
How to Find the Exact Wattage of an Appliance
Check the nameplate or label
Every appliance has a nameplate (often on the back, bottom, or inside a door) listing watts, or amps and volts. This is the manufacturer's rated maximum draw.
Multiply amps × volts
If the nameplate lists only amperage, calculate Watts = Amps × Volts. A 12.5 A appliance on a 120V circuit uses 1,500 watts. Use our amps to watts calculator for quick conversions.
Measure with a plug-in watt meter
A Kill A Watt–style meter plugs between the outlet and the appliance and shows the real-time draw plus cumulative kWh. This is the only way to capture actual usage for cycling appliances like refrigerators, which run well below their nameplate rating most of the day.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many watts does a refrigerator use?
A typical household refrigerator uses 150 to 700 running watts, but needs up to about 2,200 starting watts for a moment when the compressor kicks on. Because the compressor cycles on and off, a refrigerator averages roughly 1 to 2 kWh per day. Check the nameplate inside the door or use a plug-in watt meter for the exact figure for your model.
What appliances use the most electricity?
The biggest electricity users in most homes are heating and cooling equipment (central AC 3,500W, heat pumps 3,000–5,000W), electric water heaters (4,500W, tankless up to 36,000W), electric clothes dryers (5,000–5,600W), electric ranges and ovens (2,000–5,000W), and Level 2 EV chargers (7,200–11,500W). These large 240V appliances dwarf electronics — a whole desktop computer uses less power than a single range burner.
How do I calculate appliance wattage from amps?
Multiply amps by volts: Watts = Amps × Volts. An appliance nameplate rated 5 amps at 120 volts uses 600 watts (5 × 120). For 240V appliances, an electric dryer drawing 23 amps uses about 5,520 watts (23 × 240). This works for resistive loads; for motor loads the nameplate amps already account for power factor, so the result is close enough for circuit and generator planning.
What is the difference between running watts and starting watts?
Running watts is the continuous power an appliance uses during normal operation. Starting watts (surge watts) is the extra power a motor-driven appliance needs for the second or two when its motor starts — typically 2 to 4 times the running wattage. Refrigerators, air conditioners, pumps, and dryers all have high starting demands. Resistive loads like heaters, toasters, and incandescent lights have no starting surge.
What size generator do I need to run a refrigerator?
A refrigerator needs about 2,200 starting watts, so a generator rated at least 2,500 running watts handles a refrigerator comfortably with a safety margin. To run a refrigerator plus lights, a sump pump, and a furnace blower during an outage, most homes need a 5,000 to 7,500 watt generator. Add up the running watts of everything you want to power, then add the single largest starting-watt surge.
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