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Guide

How much does it cost to fire a kiln?

Kiln kW × hours × duty cycle × your rate. Here is the math with real kiln specs and EIA state prices.

Updated November 2026 · 7 min read

Household electricity meter on an outside wall
Photo: taberandrew, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr
The short version
  • The cost to fire a kiln is kW × hours × duty cycle × price per kWh.
  • At the EIA U.S. average residential price for August 2026 (18.16¢/kWh, preliminary), a 1.8 kW, 120 V kiln on an 8-hour firing at a 60% duty cycle costs about $1.57.
  • A large 11.52 kW, 240 V kiln on a 10-hour firing at 60% costs about $12.55 at the same rate, and about $32.61 at Hawaii’s 47.18¢.
  • The 60% duty cycle is a planning assumption, not a measurement. Read your meter before and after one firing for your real figure.

How much does it cost to fire a kiln? Usually less than people fear: for a small 120 V kiln, a firing costs a dollar or two of electricity at average U.S. rates, and a full-size 240 V kiln costs roughly the price of a takeout lunch. Where you live moves the number more than anything else, because state electricity prices differ by more than three to one.

Below is the formula, worked examples using kiln specs from our catalogue and the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s August 2026 average residential prices (Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A, marked preliminary, retrieved November 7, 2026), and the costs the formula leaves out.

The formula for the cost to fire a kiln

Cost per firingcost = kiln kW × firing hours × duty cycle × rate per kWhSource: Rio Grande, Kiln Firing Cost white paper
  • kW: from the nameplate. Watts ÷ 1,000, or amps × volts ÷ 1,000. A 15 A kiln at 120 V is 1.8 kW; 12 A at 120 V is 1.44 kW.
  • Hours: the full programmed firing, from switch-on to the controller shutting off. Cooling time costs nothing.
  • Duty cycle: the share of that time the elements are actually on. A controller cycles power to follow the programmed climb, so a kiln rarely draws full power the whole time. We use 60% for planning and 100% as a worst case.
  • Rate: cents per kWh from your bill, or your state’s EIA average as a starting point.

Worked example: a small 120 V kiln

Take the Paragon Xpress E12A, listed at 15 A on 120 V. That is 15 × 120 = 1,800 W, or 1.8 kW. Assume an 8-hour firing and a 60% duty cycle.

  1. Energy used

    1.8 kW × 8 h × 0.60 = 8.64 kWh.

  2. Multiply by the rate

    At the U.S. average of 18.16¢ per kWh: 8.64 × $0.1816 = about $1.57.

  3. Check the worst case

    At a 100% duty cycle the same firing uses 14.4 kWh, about $2.62 at the U.S. average.

  4. Swap in your own rate

    Use the price per kWh on your bill, including delivery charges if they are billed per kWh.

Small 120 V kilns at the U.S. average rate (18.16¢/kWh)

Kiln (as listed)kWFiring assumedEnergyCost
Paragon Q11A, 12 A × 120 V1.446 h at 60%5.18 kWhabout $0.94
Paragon SC2, 1,680 W1.688 h at 60%8.06 kWhabout $1.46
Paragon E12A, 15 A × 120 V1.808 h at 60%8.64 kWhabout $1.57
Paragon E12A, worst case1.808 h at 100%14.4 kWhabout $2.62

Source: EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A, August 2026 (preliminary); kiln ratings from the Clay at Home catalogue

Worked example: a full-size 240 V kiln

A larger kiln drawing 48 A at 240 V is 11.52 kW. On a 10-hour firing at 60%, it uses 11.52 × 10 × 0.60 = 69.1 kWh, about $12.55 at the U.S. average. At 100% duty the same firing uses 115.2 kWh, about $20.92.

Two open top-loading electric kilns with vent hoses in a small room
Larger 240 V kilns draw more power per hour but hold far more ware per firing.Photo: Martin Cathrae from Charlottetown, PE, Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

That is around eight times the small kiln’s cost per firing, but a big kiln holds many times more pots, so the cost per piece is often lower. Check the actual amps and volts of any kiln you are considering, and remember that the circuit has to be sized for it first; see kiln electrical requirements.

How much does firing cost in your state?

The same firing costs very different amounts across the country. The chart uses the small-kiln example above (8.64 kWh) at each state’s August 2026 EIA average residential price.

Cost of one 8.64 kWh firing by state

1.8 kW kiln, 8 h, 60% duty cycle, at EIA average residential prices for August 2026 (preliminary)

Hawaii (47.18¢)Hawaii (47.18¢): 4.14.1Massachusetts (30.48¢)Massachusetts (30.48¢): 2.62.6California (29.75¢)California (29.75¢): 2.62.6New York (28.65¢)New York (28.65¢): 2.52.5U.S. average (18.16¢)U.S. average (18.16¢): 1.61.6Texas (15.91¢)Texas (15.91¢): 1.41.4Florida (14.99¢)Florida (14.99¢): 1.31.3Nevada (12.72¢)Nevada (12.72¢): 1.11.1
Source: EIA Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A (August 2026, preliminary); Clay at Home calculation. Values in US dollars.

Large 240 V kiln (69.1 kWh firing) by state

StateEIA rate, Aug 2026Cost per firing
Hawaii47.18¢about $32.61
California29.75¢about $20.56
U.S. average18.16¢about $12.55
Texas15.91¢about $11.00
Nevada12.72¢about $8.79

Source: EIA Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A (August 2026, preliminary)

Kiln firing cost calculatorPick your state or type your bill’s rate, choose a kiln preset, and get your own estimate.

Bisque vs glaze firing: which costs more?

Usually the glaze firing, when it goes hotter or runs longer. A cone 6 glaze firing reaches 2,232 °F on Orton’s chart at a medium rate, while bisque is often fired around cone 06–04 (1,828–1,945 °F). The elements work harder near peak temperature, and a longer program means more hours.

1.8 kW kiln, 60% dutyHours assumedEnergyCost at 18.16¢
Bisque (illustration)8 h8.64 kWhabout $1.57
Glaze (illustration)10 h10.8 kWhabout $1.96
Two firings per batch18 h19.4 kWhabout $3.53

These hours are illustrations, not schedules. Your controller’s program and kiln size set the real numbers. Our bisque vs glaze firing guide explains why most pots get both.

Cost per pot

Divide the cost of both firings by the number of pieces in the load. If the large-kiln example above holds 20 mugs per load, the bisque and glaze firings together (about $25 at the U.S. average, using 10 hours each) work out to around $1.25 per mug in electricity. A small kiln that fits four mugs costs less per firing but more per mug.

For sellers, firing is only one line of the cost sheet: clay, glaze, kiln shelves and posts, cones, element and thermocouple replacement, and your time all count. See how to price handmade pottery and the selling your pottery hub.

What the formula leaves out

  • Time-of-use and tiered pricing. Many plans charge more at peak times. Firing overnight on a time-of-use plan can cut the cost, if the kiln’s location and your household are suited to it.
  • Fixed charges on your bill, which do not change with use.
  • Wear parts. Elements and thermocouples wear with use and eventually need replacing. That is a real cost per firing even if it is not on the electric bill.
  • Cold garages. A kiln in a cold space can take longer to reach temperature.
  • Kiln furniture and cones. Shelves, posts, kiln wash and witness cones.
  • Venting. A vent fan uses a little electricity of its own.

Measure your own firing cost

An estimate is only as good as its duty-cycle guess. One measured firing replaces the guess with your own figure, and you only need to do it once per program.

  1. Note the meter reading

    Read your electric meter (or your utility’s app, if it shows hourly use) right before you start the kiln. Avoid running other big appliances during the firing if you can.

  2. Fire as normal

    Run your usual bisque or glaze program with a typical load. Write down the program, the cone and the total firing time the controller reports.

  3. Read the meter again

    Subtract the first reading from the second to get the kWh the firing used, plus a little household background use.

  4. Work out your duty cycle

    Divide measured kWh by kW × hours. If a 1.8 kW kiln used 7.2 kWh over 8 hours, the duty cycle was 7.2 ÷ 14.4 = 50%. Enter that in the calculator from now on.

  5. Check whether your controller logs energy

    Some digital controllers record firing cost or energy use. If yours does, compare its figure with the meter once to see how close it is.

Ways to keep firing costs down

  • Fill the kiln. A half-empty kiln costs nearly the same to fire as a full one.
  • Fire to the cone you need, not hotter. Match clay and glaze cones; see the cone chart explained.
  • Skip unneeded holds. Long soaks add hours. Use them only where your glaze needs them.
  • Measure once. Read the meter before and after a firing to replace the 60% assumption with your own number.
  • Compare with studio firing fees. If you fire rarely, a community studio may cost less than owning a kiln once you add wear parts.
Kiln firing cost calculatorEstimate what a kiln firing costs from kiln kW, firing hours and duty cycle, using EIA average residential…Can I plug in my kiln? Outlet checkerCheck a kiln’s amps or watts against a 15, 20, 30, 40 or 50 A circuit using the 80% continuous-load rule,…

Questions

How much does it cost to fire a kiln?
It depends on kiln power, hours and your rate. At the EIA August 2026 U.S. average of 18.16¢ per kWh, a 1.8 kW kiln on an 8-hour, 60% duty firing costs about $1.57; an 11.5 kW kiln on a 10-hour firing costs about $12.55.
How many kWh does a kiln use per firing?
kW × hours × duty cycle. A 1.8 kW kiln over 8 hours at 60% uses about 8.6 kWh; an 11.52 kW kiln over 10 hours at 60% uses about 69 kWh.
Is it cheaper to fire a kiln at night?
Only if your utility charges less at night on a time-of-use plan. On a flat rate, the time of day does not change the cost.
Does a glaze firing cost more than a bisque firing?
Usually, when it goes hotter or runs longer. Run the calculator once for each of your firing programs.
Will a kiln raise my electric bill a lot?
For occasional firings in a small kiln, the change is usually small. Frequent firings in a large kiln, especially in high-rate states, add up; use your own rate for an estimate.
What duty cycle should I assume?
50–70% is a reasonable planning range and 100% is a worst case. Measuring one firing at the meter gives your real figure.

Sources

  1. U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A (August 2026, preliminary)
  2. Rio Grande, Kiln Firing Cost white paper (PDF)
  3. Orton Ceramic Foundation, pyrometric cones