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How much does it cost to run an air purifier?
At the U.S. average residential price of 18.34¢ per kilowatt-hour (June 2026), running an air purifier costs about $80.33 a year. Your own bill depends on your state's rate, which ranges from 13.11¢ to 52.72¢ across the country.
- Per hour
- 0.9¢
- Per day of use
- 22.0¢
- Per month
- $6.69
- Per year
- $80.33
Assumption: 50 W, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year — 438 kWh a year. Mid-size HEPA unit on medium. High speed can triple the draw.
Cost by state
Same appliance, same usage, 51 different prices. Sorted cheapest first.
| State | Rate | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nevada | 13.11¢ | $4.79 | $57.42 |
| Nebraska | 13.25¢ | $4.84 | $58.04 |
| Utah | 13.37¢ | $4.88 | $58.56 |
| Louisiana | 13.49¢ | $4.92 | $59.09 |
| Tennessee | 14.07¢ | $5.14 | $61.63 |
| North Dakota | 14.12¢ | $5.15 | $61.85 |
| Arkansas | 14.12¢ | $5.15 | $61.85 |
| Kentucky | 14.26¢ | $5.20 | $62.46 |
| Oklahoma | 14.33¢ | $5.23 | $62.77 |
| Idaho | 14.37¢ | $5.25 | $62.94 |
| North Carolina | 14.74¢ | $5.38 | $64.56 |
| Mississippi | 14.88¢ | $5.43 | $65.17 |
| Washington | 14.91¢ | $5.44 | $65.31 |
| New Mexico | 15.06¢ | $5.50 | $65.96 |
| Florida | 15.10¢ | $5.51 | $66.14 |
| Montana | 15.14¢ | $5.53 | $66.31 |
| Arizona | 15.18¢ | $5.54 | $66.49 |
| Wyoming | 15.24¢ | $5.56 | $66.75 |
| South Dakota | 15.36¢ | $5.61 | $67.28 |
| West Virginia | 15.45¢ | $5.64 | $67.67 |
| South Carolina | 15.55¢ | $5.68 | $68.11 |
| Kansas | 15.71¢ | $5.73 | $68.81 |
| Iowa | 15.93¢ | $5.81 | $69.77 |
| Texas | 15.94¢ | $5.82 | $69.82 |
| Missouri | 16.22¢ | $5.92 | $71.04 |
| Oregon | 16.32¢ | $5.96 | $71.48 |
| Georgia | 16.36¢ | $5.97 | $71.66 |
| Alabama | 16.40¢ | $5.99 | $71.83 |
| Colorado | 17.13¢ | $6.25 | $75.03 |
| Virginia | 17.22¢ | $6.29 | $75.42 |
| Indiana | 17.51¢ | $6.39 | $76.69 |
| Minnesota | 17.52¢ | $6.39 | $76.74 |
| Ohio | 19.19¢ | $7.00 | $84.05 |
| Delaware | 19.29¢ | $7.04 | $84.49 |
| Wisconsin | 19.56¢ | $7.14 | $85.67 |
| Illinois | 19.89¢ | $7.26 | $87.12 |
| Pennsylvania | 21.73¢ | $7.93 | $95.18 |
| Maryland | 21.84¢ | $7.97 | $95.66 |
| Michigan | 22.99¢ | $8.39 | $101 |
| Connecticut | 24.32¢ | $8.88 | $107 |
| District of Columbia | 24.39¢ | $8.90 | $107 |
| Vermont | 24.44¢ | $8.92 | $107 |
| New Jersey | 24.95¢ | $9.11 | $109 |
| New Hampshire | 27.01¢ | $9.86 | $118 |
| Alaska | 28.21¢ | $10.30 | $124 |
| Rhode Island | 29.23¢ | $10.67 | $128 |
| New York | 29.49¢ | $10.76 | $129 |
| Maine | 29.59¢ | $10.80 | $130 |
| Massachusetts | 29.61¢ | $10.81 | $130 |
| California | 34.74¢ | $12.68 | $152 |
| Hawaii | 52.72¢ | $19.24 | $231 |
Cutting the number down
- Right-sizing to the room lets you run a bigger unit on low instead of a small one on high, which is quieter and cheaper for the same clean-air delivery.
- A loaded filter forces the fan to work harder for less airflow, so late-life filters cost more per unit of clean air.
Questions
- How many watts does an air purifier use?
- About 50 W while running.
- How much does an air purifier cost per month?
- About $6.69 a month at the U.S. average rate, or $80.33 a year.
- Where is it cheapest to run?
- Nevada, at $57.42 a year, versus $231 in Hawaii — a spread of $173.