Kiln Cost Per Firing Calculator

The electricity cost of one firing and of each piece in it, from the kiln power, the duration and the duty cycle.

A small kiln draws 3 to 7 kilowatts and a bisque or a glaze firing runs 8 to 12 hours, but the elements do not draw full power for the whole time: they cycle on and off once the kiln is near temperature, so a duty cycle of about 65 percent is a more honest figure than the full rating. This calculator turns the power, the duration, the price per unit and the duty cycle into the cost of one firing, the cost per piece and the cost across a year. It costs a firing; it does not tell anyone how to run a kiln.

At a glance

What you enter: Kiln power rating, Firing duration, Electricity price, Duty cycle, Pieces in the firing, Measured consumption from a meter, Cost of a set of elements, Firings a set of elements lasts, Firings a year
What you get: Cost of one firing, Cost if the elements ran continuously, Energy actually used, Electricity cost per piece, Energy per piece, Cost per hour of firing, Element wear per firing, Cost per firing including element wear, Cost per piece including element wear, Electricity cost across a year, Yearly cost including element wear, Pieces fired in a year, Rough carbon dioxide for the firing
Formula shown: Yes, every step, right below your results.
Cost and privacy: Free, no account needed, and nothing you type is stored.

See worked examples ↓ Read the FAQ ↓ Share this calculator ↓

Kiln power rating kW

The rating on the kiln plate. A small studio kiln draws 3 to 7 kW.

Firing duration h

From switch on to the end of the cool, or the time the kiln is drawing. A bisque or glaze firing usually runs 8 to 12 hours.

Electricity price per kWh

Your own unit price, including any standing charge apportioned if you want the full picture.

Duty cycle %

The share of the time the elements draw full power. About 65 percent is realistic for a bisque or glaze firing, because the elements cycle once the kiln is near temperature.

Pieces in the firing

The number the kiln genuinely holds, not the number you would like it to hold.

Measured consumption from a meter kWh

Leave at zero to use the calculated figure. Enter a metered reading to compare it with the estimate.

Cost of a set of elements

Optional. Used for the element wear share per firing.

Firings a set of elements lasts

A set of elements might last 100 to 200 firings depending on the kiln and the temperature.

Firings a year

Used for the annual electricity figure.

Reset

Results are estimates for general information only, always verify with a professional or official source before acting on them.

How to use the Kiln Cost Per Firing Calculator

1 Enter Kiln power rating (kW), The rating on the kiln plate. A small studio kiln draws 3 to 7 kW.
2 Enter Firing duration (h), From switch on to the end of the cool, or the time the kiln is drawing. A bisque or glaze firing usually runs 8 to 12 hours.
3 Enter Electricity price (per kWh), Your own unit price, including any standing charge apportioned if you want the full picture.
4 Enter Duty cycle (%), The share of the time the elements draw full power. About 65 percent is realistic for a bisque or glaze firing, because the elements cycle once the kiln is near temperature.
5 Enter Pieces in the firing, The number the kiln genuinely holds, not the number you would like it to hold.
6 Enter Measured consumption from a meter (kWh), Leave at zero to use the calculated figure. Enter a metered reading to compare it with the estimate.
7 Enter Cost of a set of elements, Optional. Used for the element wear share per firing.
8 Enter Firings a set of elements lasts, A set of elements might last 100 to 200 firings depending on the kiln and the temperature.
9 Enter Firings a year, Used for the annual electricity figure.
10 Press Calculate. You get Cost of one firing, Cost if the elements ran continuously, Energy actually used, Electricity cost per piece, Energy per piece, Cost per hour of firing, Element wear per firing, Cost per firing including element wear, Cost per piece including element wear, Electricity cost across a year, Yearly cost including element wear, Pieces fired in a year, Rough carbon dioxide for the firing, and every intermediate step stays visible under "How is this calculated?"
11 Change one number at a time to see what moves the result, that is usually the most useful thing a calculator can tell you.

Worked examples

Real numbers run through this calculator. Open any example to load it into the form above and change it.

A 5 kW kiln on a 10 hour glaze firing

A 65 percent duty cycle at 0.25 per kilowatt hour, 60 pieces in the load.

You enter

Kiln power rating: 5 kW
Firing duration: 10 h
Electricity price: 0.25 per kWh
Duty cycle: 65%
Pieces in the firing: 60
Measured consumption from a meter: 0 kWh
Cost of a set of elements: $180.00
Firings a set of elements lasts: 150
Firings a year: 100

You get

Cost of one firing: $8.13
Cost if the elements ran continuously: $12.50
Energy actually used: 32.50 kWh
Electricity cost per piece: $0.14
Energy per piece: 0.54 kWh
Cost per hour of firing: $0.81
Element wear per firing: $1.20
Cost per firing including element wear: $9.33
Cost per piece including element wear: $0.16
Electricity cost across a year: $812.50
Yearly cost including element wear: $932.50
Pieces fired in a year: 6,000
Rough carbon dioxide for the firing: 13.00 kg

32.5 kilowatt hours, so 8.13 for the firing, which is 13.55 pence per piece. Element wear adds 1.20 per firing, so 9.33 all in and 15.55 pence per piece.

Open this example in the calculator →

A small kiln firing a half full load

A 3 kW kiln for 9 hours with only 15 pieces in it.

You enter

Kiln power rating: 3 kW
Firing duration: 9 h
Electricity price: 0.28 per kWh
Duty cycle: 70%
Pieces in the firing: 15
Measured consumption from a meter: 0 kWh
Cost of a set of elements: $140.00
Firings a set of elements lasts: 120
Firings a year: 60

You get

Cost of one firing: $5.29
Cost if the elements ran continuously: $7.56
Energy actually used: 18.90 kWh
Electricity cost per piece: $0.35
Energy per piece: 1.26 kWh
Cost per hour of firing: $0.59
Element wear per firing: $1.17
Cost per firing including element wear: $6.46
Cost per piece including element wear: $0.43
Electricity cost across a year: $317.52
Yearly cost including element wear: $387.52
Pieces fired in a year: 900
Rough carbon dioxide for the firing: 7.56 kg

18.9 kilowatt hours, so 5.29 for the firing, but only 15 pieces to carry it: 35.3 pence each, against 8.8 pence if the same kiln were full. Batching is the whole argument.

Open this example in the calculator →

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Frequently asked questions

How much does one kiln firing cost in electricity?

Multiply the kiln rating by the hours and by the duty cycle, then by the unit price. A 5 kilowatt kiln for 10 hours at a 65 percent duty cycle uses 32.5 kilowatt hours, which at 0.25 a unit is 8.13. A small 3 kilowatt kiln on a 9 hour bisque at the same price is about 4.39, and a 7 kilowatt kiln on a 12 hour glaze firing is about 13.65. Add a share of element wear for the true figure.

Why is the duty cycle not 100 percent?

Because the elements cycle on and off. A kiln draws close to full power while it is climbing to temperature, and then the controller switches the elements on and off to hold the ramp or the soak, so the average draw over a whole firing is about 60 to 70 percent of the rating. A well insulated kiln with a slow programme sits higher, and a small kiln brought up quickly sits lower. About 65 percent is a realistic planning figure and the field is there to be changed.

How much does a firing cost per pot?

Divide the cost of the firing by the pieces in the load. A firing costing 8.13 spread over 60 mugs is 13.6 pence each, and the same firing spread over 20 mugs is 40.7 pence each. That is why a full kiln matters more than almost anything else: the cost of the firing does not change with the load, so the per piece figure is entirely decided by how well the kiln is filled.

Should I add the cost of elements to the firing cost?

It is worth doing for any honest costing. A set of elements lasts perhaps 100 to 200 firings depending on the kiln and the temperatures used, so a set costing 180 spread over 150 firings is 1.20 per firing before anything else. Shelves and kiln wash are consumables in the same way. Enter your own figures if you have them, and if you do not, treat the electricity figure here as a floor rather than the whole cost of firing.

Can I measure what a firing really uses?

Yes, and it is the best thing to do. A plug in energy monitor on the kiln supply, where one is rated for the load, or a meter fitted by an electrician, gives the real consumption. Enter the metered reading in the field provided and the calculator shows what duty cycle that implies, which you can then use for every future estimate. Do not open a kiln, alter its wiring or its controls, or fit anything inside the kiln: electrical work on a kiln belongs to a qualified electrician, and operating it belongs to the manufacturer instructions.