How much does an air purifier cost per month in California?

About $12.68 a month, assuming 50 W, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year at 34.74¢/kWh.

How many kilowatt-hours does an air purifier use?

Roughly 438 kWh a year under these assumptions, or 0.05 kWh for every hour it runs.

Is that expensive compared with other states?

California has the 2nd most expensive average residential rate in the country, so this appliance costs more here than the U.S. average of $80.33 a year.

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Cost to run an air purifier in California (June 2026 rates)

At 34.74¢ per kilowatt-hour — California's average residential price in June 2026 — running an air purifier costs $152 a year. That is 89% more than the national average of $80.33. California's residential rate is up 3.4% from June 2025, which moves this appliance from $147 to $152 a year.

Per hour: 1.7¢
Per day of use: 41.7¢
Per month: $12.68
Per year: $152

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. Use the calculator to swap in the numbers from your own model.

How California compares

California pays 34.74¢/kWh, the 2nd most expensive residential electricity of the 51 U.S. jurisdictions EIA reports. For this appliance that works out to $71.83 more a year than the typical U.S. household pays for the same use. Running the same air purifier costs $57.42 a year in Nevada and $231 in Hawaii, so where you live changes this bill by $173 a year.

State	Rate	Per month	Per year
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

States ranked by average residential price, cheapest first. See all 51 states for an air purifier.

What else costs about the same in California

Refrigerator$139 a year in CA Desktop computer$139 a year in CA Dehumidifier$188 a year in CA

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 much does an air purifier cost per month in California?: About $12.68 a month, assuming 50 W, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year at 34.74¢/kWh.
How many kilowatt-hours does an air purifier use?: Roughly 438 kWh a year under these assumptions, or 0.05 kWh for every hour it runs.
Is that expensive compared with other states?: California has the 2nd most expensive average residential rate in the country, so this appliance costs more here than the U.S. average of $80.33 a year.