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How much does it cost to run a vacuum cleaner?
At the U.S. average residential price of 18.31¢ per kilowatt-hour (July 2026), running a vacuum cleaner costs about $6.59 a year. Your own bill depends on your state's rate, which ranges from 12.72¢ to 48.00¢ across the country.
- Per hour
- 22.0¢
- Per day of use
- 6.6¢
- Per month
- 54.9¢
- Per year
- $6.59
Assumption: 1,200 W, 18 minutes a day, 100 days a year — 36 kWh a year. An upright vacuum, roughly 20 minutes per session.
Cost by state
Same appliance, same usage, 51 different prices. Sorted cheapest first.
| State | Rate | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | 12.72¢ | 38.2¢ | $4.58 |
| Nevada | 12.77¢ | 38.3¢ | $4.60 |
| Utah | 13.12¢ | 39.4¢ | $4.72 |
| North Dakota | 13.41¢ | 40.2¢ | $4.83 |
| Tennessee | 13.71¢ | 41.1¢ | $4.94 |
| Idaho | 13.73¢ | 41.2¢ | $4.94 |
| Nebraska | 13.78¢ | 41.3¢ | $4.96 |
| Kentucky | 13.81¢ | 41.4¢ | $4.97 |
| Arkansas | 14.33¢ | 43.0¢ | $5.16 |
| Oklahoma | 14.35¢ | 43.0¢ | $5.17 |
| Wyoming | 14.36¢ | 43.1¢ | $5.17 |
| Mississippi | 14.54¢ | 43.6¢ | $5.23 |
| Washington | 14.71¢ | 44.1¢ | $5.30 |
| Montana | 14.99¢ | 45.0¢ | $5.40 |
| Florida | 15.03¢ | 45.1¢ | $5.41 |
| North Carolina | 15.16¢ | 45.5¢ | $5.46 |
| Kansas | 15.27¢ | 45.8¢ | $5.50 |
| South Dakota | 15.37¢ | 46.1¢ | $5.53 |
| Arizona | 15.38¢ | 46.1¢ | $5.54 |
| South Carolina | 15.47¢ | 46.4¢ | $5.57 |
| West Virginia | 15.78¢ | 47.3¢ | $5.68 |
| Texas | 15.88¢ | 47.6¢ | $5.72 |
| Oregon | 15.97¢ | 47.9¢ | $5.75 |
| Iowa | 15.99¢ | 48.0¢ | $5.76 |
| Missouri | 16.09¢ | 48.3¢ | $5.79 |
| New Mexico | 16.09¢ | 48.3¢ | $5.79 |
| Georgia | 16.27¢ | 48.8¢ | $5.86 |
| Alabama | 16.40¢ | 49.2¢ | $5.90 |
| Indiana | 16.73¢ | 50.2¢ | $6.02 |
| Colorado | 17.00¢ | 51.0¢ | $6.12 |
| Minnesota | 17.45¢ | 52.3¢ | $6.28 |
| Virginia | 17.55¢ | 52.7¢ | $6.32 |
| Delaware | 18.48¢ | 55.4¢ | $6.65 |
| Wisconsin | 19.06¢ | 57.2¢ | $6.86 |
| Illinois | 19.22¢ | 57.7¢ | $6.92 |
| Ohio | 19.45¢ | 58.4¢ | $7.00 |
| Maryland | 21.41¢ | 64.2¢ | $7.71 |
| Pennsylvania | 21.72¢ | 65.2¢ | $7.82 |
| Michigan | 23.05¢ | 69.2¢ | $8.30 |
| Vermont | 23.75¢ | 71.2¢ | $8.55 |
| Connecticut | 24.16¢ | 72.5¢ | $8.70 |
| New Jersey | 25.19¢ | 75.6¢ | $9.07 |
| District of Columbia | 25.21¢ | 75.6¢ | $9.08 |
| New Hampshire | 26.60¢ | 79.8¢ | $9.58 |
| Rhode Island | 28.29¢ | 84.9¢ | $10.18 |
| Alaska | 28.83¢ | 86.5¢ | $10.38 |
| New York | 29.90¢ | 89.7¢ | $10.76 |
| Massachusetts | 30.49¢ | 91.5¢ | $10.98 |
| Maine | 32.41¢ | 97.2¢ | $11.67 |
| California | 33.61¢ | $1.01 | $12.10 |
| Hawaii | 48.00¢ | $1.44 | $17.28 |
Cutting the number down
- A full bag or clogged filter costs suction, not watts: the motor draws the same while doing less.
Questions
- How many watts does a vacuum cleaner use?
- About 1,200 W while running.
- How much does a vacuum cleaner cost per month?
- About 54.9¢ a month at the U.S. average rate, or $6.59 a year.
- Where is it cheapest to run?
- Louisiana, at $4.58 a year, versus $17.28 in Hawaii — a spread of $12.70.