Bisque plus glaze, per piece
Kiln firing cost calculator
Cost per firing = kiln kW × firing hours × duty cycle × price per kWh. Paragon puts a studio kiln's duty cycle at about 50%, so a 7.2 kW kiln on a 12.6-hour bisque firing at 18.16¢ per kWh costs about $8.24.
Result
7.2 kW kiln · 50% duty · 18.16¢ per kWh
$13.79for a bisque and a glaze firing
About $0.78 a piece for both firings
- Bisque firing
- 45.4 kWh · $8.24 · $0.41 a piece
- Glaze firing
- 30.6 kWh · $5.56 · $0.37 a piece
- Energy, both firings
- 76 kWh
- Bisque: 7.2 kW × 12.6 h × 0.5 × $0.1816 = $8.24
- Glaze: 7.2 kW × 8.5 h × 0.5 × $0.1816 = $5.56
A rough estimate: the real duty cycle depends on your kiln, its elements, the load and the schedule.
How the estimate works
An electric kiln's controller switches the elements on and off to follow the schedule, so it draws its full power for only part of the firing. The calculator multiplies the kiln's kW rating by the hours and by that share, the duty cycle, to get kWh, then by your price.
- Hours: the chips use Skutt's Cone Fire profiles, worked out in the firing schedule builder. Your controller shows the real time at the end of a firing.
- Per piece divides each firing's cost by the pieces in that load, then adds bisque and glaze together.
- Not included: standing charges, time-of-use rates, and the wear on elements and thermocouples.
Example prices: the US average residential price was 18.16¢ per kWh in August 2026 (EIA, released 23 October 2026). Ofgem's price cap for 1 October to 31 December 2026 averages 26.32p per kWh for electricity paid by Direct Debit in England, Scotland and Wales, and Ofgem notes there is no VAT on electricity from 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027.
Sources
- The formula and the 50% duty cycle: Paragon Industries, “Kiln Firing Costs”, John S. Hohenshelt (2009; copy hosted by Art Clay World). Paragon's figures come from tests on a 10.8 kW, 10 cubic foot digital kiln with about 100 lb of ware: a rough guide for other kilns.
- Firing times: Skutt KilnMaster Operating Manual, Edition 4 (May 2002), Cone Fire mode profiles.
- US price: EIA, Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A, residential, U.S. total, August 2026 (data released 23 October 2026, checked 2 November 2026).
- GB price: Ofgem, Energy price cap unit rates and standing charges, 1 October to 31 December 2026 (checked 2 November 2026).
Questions
How much does it cost to fire a kiln?
Multiply the kiln's kW by the firing hours, the duty cycle and your price per kWh. Paragon's example: 10.8 kW × 8 hours × 50% × $0.08 is about $3.45 for a cone 06 firing.
What is a kiln's duty cycle?
The share of the firing that the elements actually have power going through them. Paragon gives about 50% as general for studio kilns: on for about four hours of an eight-hour firing.
Does a fuller kiln cost more to fire?
Only a little. Paragon found that adding more ware, or firing to cone 04 instead of 06, has only a marginal effect on the cost, so full loads bring the cost per piece down.