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How much does it cost to run an electric shower?

A typical electric shower costs about 41p for a 10-minute shower — roughly £150 a year for one person showering ten minutes a day — at the current price-cap electricity rate (about 26p a unit, GB average, Jul–Sep 2026). For a family of four that same habit is around four times as much.

• The typical numbers. Electric showers are usually rated 8.5–10.8 kW; call it a typical 9.5 kW. Ten minutes uses about 1.6 kWh, roughly 41p at 26p a unit. One person showering daily is about £150 a year; a household of four, around four times that.
• Time is the whole cost. An electric shower heats the water as it flows, at a near-constant power, so the cost is almost exactly proportional to how long you run it. Half the time, half the cost.
• A power shower or hot bath can cost more. A high-flow shower or a deep bath uses more hot water, so it isn’t automatically cheaper than a quick electric shower.

How to cut it

• Shorten the shower. Because the cost tracks time almost exactly, knocking a few minutes off is the single biggest saving.
• Fit a low-flow head. An eco or aerated shower head cuts the water used without the shower feeling weaker — less water to heat.
• Turn it off while you lather. Stopping the flow while you soap up stops the heater drawing power for those seconds.
• Mind the family total. Four ten-minute showers a day is a real yearly sum — a shared timer or a nudge to keep them short adds up.

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