Shower Water Cost Calculator
A 10-minute shower uses 20 to 25 gallons of water. Enter how long you shower and the price on your water bill to see what your showers cost per shower, per month and per year.
Water for your showers
Water only. Heating the water is not included and usually costs more than the water itself.
How much does a 10-minute shower cost?
With a standard showerhead, a 10-minute shower uses 25 gallons (95 litres) of water. With a WaterSense showerhead it is 20 gallons. At $5 per 1,000 gallons, the water costs 10 cents to 13 cents. Where water and sewer together cost $15 per 1,000 gallons, it is 30 cents to 38 cents.
| Shower | WaterSense head | Standard head | Water at $5 per 1,000 gal | Water at $15 per 1,000 gal | Energy to heat it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 minutes | 10 gal | 12.5 gal | 6.3 cents | 19 cents | 1.5 kWh |
| 8 minutes | 16 gal | 20 gal | 10 cents | 30 cents | 2.4 kWh |
| 10 minutes | 20 gal | 25 gal | 13 cents | 38 cents | 3.1 kWh |
| 15 minutes | 30 gal | 37.5 gal | 19 cents | 56 cents | 4.6 kWh |
| 20 minutes | 40 gal | 50 gal | 25 cents | 75 cents | 6.1 kWh |
| 30 minutes | 60 gal | 75 gal | 38 cents | $1.13 | 9.2 kWh |
What heating the water adds
The calculator covers the water. Heating it usually costs more. Warming one gallon of water by 1 °F takes 8.34 BTU, and one kWh is 3,412 BTU. For the 25 gallons of a 10-minute shower, warmed by 50 °F:
25 gal × 8.34 BTU × 50 °F = 10,425 BTU = 3.1 kWh
With an electric water heater and a price of 17 cents per kWh, that is 52 cents per shower, against 13 cents for the water at $5 per 1,000 gallons.
How the cost is calculated
gallons = minutes × gallons per minute cost per shower = gallons × price per gallon cost per year = cost per shower × showers per week × 52
The price per gallon is the price per 1,000 gallons divided by 1,000, or the price per CCF divided by 748. A CCF is 100 cubic feet, the unit many utilities bill in. If sewer is charged by volume too, add the two prices before you enter them.
Example: 10 minutes with a standard showerhead is 10 × 2.5 = 25 gallons. At $5 per 1,000 gallons, a gallon costs half a cent, so the shower costs 13 cents. One shower a day comes to $45.63 a year.
How to use less water in the shower
- Change the showerhead: a WaterSense showerhead uses at most 2.0 gallons per minute instead of 2.5. The EPA puts the saving for an average family at 2,700 gallons per year.
- Shorten the shower: every minute less saves 2 to 2.5 gallons, and the energy to heat them.
- Know the share: showering accounts for nearly 17 percent of the water used inside a home, close to 40 gallons a day for an average family.
Shower Water Cost Calculator: Questions and Answers
- How much does a 10-minute shower cost in water?A 10-minute shower uses 20 to 25 gallons. At $5 per 1,000 gallons that is 10 cents to 13 cents for the water. Where water and sewer together cost $15 per 1,000 gallons, it is 30 cents to 38 cents. Heating the water comes on top.
- How many gallons of water does a shower use?A standard showerhead uses 2.5 gallons per minute and a WaterSense showerhead at most 2.0. That makes 20 to 25 gallons for a 10-minute shower and 16 to 20 gallons for an 8-minute one.
- How much does a 15-minute shower cost in water?A 15-minute shower uses 30 to 37.5 gallons. At $5 per 1,000 gallons that is 15 cents to 19 cents, and at $15 per 1,000 gallons 45 cents to 56 cents.
- How much water does a 30-minute shower use?Between 60 gallons with a WaterSense showerhead and 75 gallons with a standard one, which is 227 to 284 litres.
- Does the result include heating the water?No, it covers the water. Heating adds more than the water costs: warming the 25 gallons of a 10-minute shower by 50 °F takes about 3.1 kWh. At 17 cents per kWh that is 52 cents.
- What does CCF mean on a water bill?CCF stands for 100 cubic feet, which is 748 gallons. If your bill gives a price per CCF, pick that unit in the calculator. A price of $3.74 per CCF is the same as $5 per 1,000 gallons.
Sources
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, WaterSense: Showerheads (updated 3 March 2026) – flow of standard and WaterSense showerheads, share of showering in household water use, savings
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