Home › Appliances › Clothes iron
How much does it cost to run a clothes iron?
At the U.S. average residential price of 18.31¢ per kilowatt-hour (July 2026), running a clothes iron costs about $3.02 a year. Your own bill depends on your state's rate, which ranges from 12.72¢ to 48.00¢ across the country.
- Per hour
- 10.1¢
- Per day of use
- 3.0¢
- Per month
- 25.2¢
- Per year
- $3.02
Assumption: 1,100 W at a 50% duty cycle, 18 minutes a day, 100 days a year — 16 kWh a year. Thermostatic, so it cycles rather than drawing continuously.
Cost by state
Same appliance, same usage, 51 different prices. Sorted cheapest first.
| State | Rate | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | 12.72¢ | 17.5¢ | $2.10 |
| Nevada | 12.77¢ | 17.6¢ | $2.11 |
| Utah | 13.12¢ | 18.0¢ | $2.16 |
| North Dakota | 13.41¢ | 18.4¢ | $2.21 |
| Tennessee | 13.71¢ | 18.9¢ | $2.26 |
| Idaho | 13.73¢ | 18.9¢ | $2.27 |
| Nebraska | 13.78¢ | 18.9¢ | $2.27 |
| Kentucky | 13.81¢ | 19.0¢ | $2.28 |
| Arkansas | 14.33¢ | 19.7¢ | $2.36 |
| Oklahoma | 14.35¢ | 19.7¢ | $2.37 |
| Wyoming | 14.36¢ | 19.7¢ | $2.37 |
| Mississippi | 14.54¢ | 20.0¢ | $2.40 |
| Washington | 14.71¢ | 20.2¢ | $2.43 |
| Montana | 14.99¢ | 20.6¢ | $2.47 |
| Florida | 15.03¢ | 20.7¢ | $2.48 |
| North Carolina | 15.16¢ | 20.8¢ | $2.50 |
| Kansas | 15.27¢ | 21.0¢ | $2.52 |
| South Dakota | 15.37¢ | 21.1¢ | $2.54 |
| Arizona | 15.38¢ | 21.1¢ | $2.54 |
| South Carolina | 15.47¢ | 21.3¢ | $2.55 |
| West Virginia | 15.78¢ | 21.7¢ | $2.60 |
| Texas | 15.88¢ | 21.8¢ | $2.62 |
| Oregon | 15.97¢ | 22.0¢ | $2.64 |
| Iowa | 15.99¢ | 22.0¢ | $2.64 |
| Missouri | 16.09¢ | 22.1¢ | $2.65 |
| New Mexico | 16.09¢ | 22.1¢ | $2.65 |
| Georgia | 16.27¢ | 22.4¢ | $2.68 |
| Alabama | 16.40¢ | 22.5¢ | $2.71 |
| Indiana | 16.73¢ | 23.0¢ | $2.76 |
| Colorado | 17.00¢ | 23.4¢ | $2.81 |
| Minnesota | 17.45¢ | 24.0¢ | $2.88 |
| Virginia | 17.55¢ | 24.1¢ | $2.90 |
| Delaware | 18.48¢ | 25.4¢ | $3.05 |
| Wisconsin | 19.06¢ | 26.2¢ | $3.14 |
| Illinois | 19.22¢ | 26.4¢ | $3.17 |
| Ohio | 19.45¢ | 26.7¢ | $3.21 |
| Maryland | 21.41¢ | 29.4¢ | $3.53 |
| Pennsylvania | 21.72¢ | 29.9¢ | $3.58 |
| Michigan | 23.05¢ | 31.7¢ | $3.80 |
| Vermont | 23.75¢ | 32.7¢ | $3.92 |
| Connecticut | 24.16¢ | 33.2¢ | $3.99 |
| New Jersey | 25.19¢ | 34.6¢ | $4.16 |
| District of Columbia | 25.21¢ | 34.7¢ | $4.16 |
| New Hampshire | 26.60¢ | 36.6¢ | $4.39 |
| Rhode Island | 28.29¢ | 38.9¢ | $4.67 |
| Alaska | 28.83¢ | 39.6¢ | $4.76 |
| New York | 29.90¢ | 41.1¢ | $4.93 |
| Massachusetts | 30.49¢ | 41.9¢ | $5.03 |
| Maine | 32.41¢ | 44.6¢ | $5.35 |
| California | 33.61¢ | 46.2¢ | $5.55 |
| Hawaii | 48.00¢ | 66.0¢ | $7.92 |
Cutting the number down
- Ironing a batch on one heat-up costs far less than heating the plate from cold for each shirt.
Questions
- How many watts does a clothes iron use?
- About 1,100 W while running, though it cycles on and off, so average draw is 550 W.
- How much does a clothes iron cost per month?
- About 25.2¢ a month at the U.S. average rate, or $3.02 a year.
- Where is it cheapest to run?
- Louisiana, at $2.10 a year, versus $7.92 in Hawaii — a spread of $5.82.