Show the formula and working
This coffee machine running cost calculator works out the electricity cost of your coffee per cup and per year. Enter the heater power, how long the machine warms up each day, how many cups you make, the heating time per cup and the standby power if it stays plugged in. It starts with the UK price cap unit rate, has EU presets, and you can type your own tariff. The cost of coffee, pods or milk is not included.
Quick answer: A coffee machine’s electricity cost is its power in kW times the minutes it spends heating, divided by 60, times your unit rate, plus standby. A 1,450 W machine with a 3 minute warm up and 1 minute of heating per cup, making 3 cups a day, costs about 1.48p a cup, or about £16.24 a year at 26.32p.
How Is Coffee Machine Running Cost Calculated?
Add the warm up minutes to the heating minutes for all your cups, multiply by the power in kW divided by 60, then multiply by your unit rate. Add the standby energy for the hours the machine sits idle.
Espresso, bean to cup and pod machines all heat water with an element or thermoblock. The heater draws close to the full rated power while it is working and very little the rest of the time. Warm up is the same each day whether you make one cup or six, so the cost per cup falls as you make more. Standby power is small, but it runs all day and night, so the calculator includes it and shows its share of the cost.
How Do You Use the Coffee Machine Calculator?
- Enter the heater power from the base or manual.
- Enter the warm up minutes per day.
- Enter your cups per day and heating minutes per cup.
- Enter the standby power if the machine stays plugged in.
- Choose a price preset or enter your unit rate.
How Much Does a Coffee Machine Cost to Run?
For most home machines, the electricity costs between about 1p and 3p a cup at 26.32p, much less than the coffee itself.
| Cups per day | Heating kWh per day | Cost per day | Cost per cup | Cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0.097 | 3.18p | 3.18p | £11.59 |
| 3 | 0.145 | 4.45p | 1.48p | £16.24 |
| 6 | 0.217 | 6.36p | 1.06p | £23.20 |
The heater power is usually printed on the base, the back of the machine or the manual. The 26.32p figure is the Ofgem price cap average for October to December 2026, and you can check the latest rate on the Ofgem energy price cap page.
Is It Cheaper to Leave a Coffee Machine On?
Usually not. Keeping a machine hot between cups means the heater cycles on and off to replace lost heat.
Many machines switch to standby or off after a set time, which helps. If you make one cup in the morning and one in the afternoon, it is usually cheaper to let the machine switch off in between and warm up again. If you make several cups close together, keep it on for that time. Standby itself is small: at 1 W it is under 1 kWh a month, but older machines can use more, which is why the calculator includes it. You can see the cost of everything left plugged in with the standby power cost calculator.
Coffee Machine or Kettle?
Instant coffee made with a kettle can cost a similar amount in electricity per cup, as long as you boil only the water you need.
Boiling a full kettle for one mug wastes most of the energy. A machine heats a measured amount of water each time, but adds a warm up. Both are cheap per cup. To compare, try the kettle running cost calculator with the amount of water you usually boil.
Worked Example: A Bean to Cup Machine
Example: a household makes 4 cups a day with a 1,500 W bean to cup machine. It takes 5 minutes to warm up, heats for 1 minute per cup and uses 3 W in standby when left plugged in. The unit rate is 26.32p.
- Heating: 1.5 kW x (5 + 4 minutes) / 60 = 0.225 kWh a day
- Standby: 3 W x 24 hours = 0.072 kWh a day
- Per day: 0.297 kWh x 26.32p = 7.82p
- Per cup: 7.82p / 4 = 1.95p
- Per year: 7.82p x 365 = £28.53
In this example, standby is about a quarter of the electricity cost. Switching off at the wall overnight would save most of that, and the machine would still warm up as usual in the morning.
Tips to Cut Coffee Machine Costs
Small changes add up over a year.
- Set the auto off timer to the shortest time that suits you.
- Switch off at the wall at night if the machine has a high standby use.
- Descale regularly: scale on the heater can slow heating.
- Make cups back to back instead of reheating the machine several times.
- Use the eco mode if your machine has one.
Coffee Machine Running Cost FAQs
How much does a coffee machine cost per cup in electricity?
For most home machines it is about 1p to 3p a cup at 26.32p, depending on warm up time and how many cups you make.
Do coffee machines use a lot of electricity?
They draw high power while heating, but only for a few minutes a day, so the yearly cost is usually modest.
Should I unplug my coffee machine?
If it uses noticeable standby power, switching off at the wall saves a little each day. Check the manual for its standby figure.
Do pod machines cost less to run?
Pod machines often heat up quickly, which keeps warm up energy low. The pods themselves usually cost far more than the electricity.
Does descaling save energy?
Scale can slow heating and harm the machine, so regular descaling helps keep it working well. Follow the maker’s advice.
Does the cost include the coffee?
No. This calculator covers electricity only. Add the cost of beans, pods and milk separately.
Checked October 2026. Sources: Ofgem energy price cap. Warm up and standby figures are examples; use your machine’s manual.