Shower cost calculator
At the current price cap, an 8-minute shower costs about 33.3p from a 9.5 kW electric shower, or about 19.5p heated by a gas boiler.
- A week
- £2.33
- A year
- £121.69
- Energy per shower
- 1.27 kWh
- Water used
- 64 litres
8 minutes in a 9.5 kW electric shower, 7 showers a week. Water and sewerage charges are extra if you have a meter.
Energy only. If you have a water meter, water and sewerage charges are extra.
Cost per shower by length
At the current price cap. Electric at 9.5 kW; gas boiler at 8 litres a minute.
| Shower length | Electric shower | Gas boiler |
|---|---|---|
| 4 minutes | 16.7p | 9.8p |
| 6 minutes | 25p | 14.7p |
| 8 minutes | 33.3p | 19.5p |
| 10 minutes | 41.7p | 24.4p |
| 15 minutes | 62.5p | 36.6p |
How we calculate this
An electric shower uses its rated power the whole time it is on, so the cost is its kilowatts multiplied by the time and your unit rate.
For a shower heated by a gas boiler, we work out the energy to warm the water from about 10°C to about 38°C (a 28°C rise), then allow for the boiler’s 85% efficiency.
Questions people ask
How much does a shower cost?
At the price cap, about 33.3p for 8 minutes in a 9.5 kW electric shower, or 19.5p with hot water from a gas boiler. Shorter showers save the most.
Is an electric shower cheaper than a gas one?
Electricity costs more per kWh than gas, but electric showers use less water, so the gap is smaller than you might think. Power showers and high-flow mixers usually cost the most.
How can I cut my shower costs?
Take shorter showers, fit a water-efficient shower head on a mixer shower, and turn down the temperature a little. Each minute saved cuts the cost directly.
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