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Kiln Firing Electricity Cost per Piece

Enter the energy of a firing in kWh, your price per kWh and the number of pieces. You get the electricity cost of the whole firing and of one piece. Clay, glaze and your time are not included.

Electricity for the firing

€4.80

€0.40 per piece over 12 pieces

Electricity only. Clay, glaze, labour, kiln wear and the other costs of a piece are not included.

How it works

  1. Enter the kilowatt-hours the firing used, from your meter or your kiln's log.
  2. Enter your price per kWh and, if you like, a currency symbol.
  3. Enter the number of pieces in that firing.
  4. Read the cost of the firing and of one piece, then copy the summary.

What people use it for

  • Pricing pieces

    Know what the electricity of a bisque or a glaze firing adds to each mug.

  • Comparing tariffs

    Enter two prices per kWh and see what an off-peak firing saves.

  • Keeping a firing log

    Copy one line per firing with the energy and the cost.

Questions

What is the formula?
Cost of the firing = kWh × price per kWh. Cost per piece = that cost ÷ the number of pieces, when there is at least one piece. Amounts are shown to two decimals, but the calculation is not rounded before the end.
Where do I find the kWh of a firing?
From a plug-in energy meter or the meter of the kiln circuit, read before and after. The page does not estimate the energy from the kiln's power, because the real use depends on the load, the schedule and the room.
Is this the real cost of a piece?
No. It is the electricity only. Clay, glazes, kiln wear, labour, taxes on the bill and unfired losses are not included, and the page adds none of them.
What if I put 0 pieces?
The cost of the firing is still shown, and no per-piece figure is given, because dividing by zero has no meaning.