How much does a clothes iron cost to run?
$0.56 a month
- A day of use
- $0.06
- An hour of running
- $0.13
- A year
- $6.69
1,400 W, 30 minutes, twice a week, with the thermostat cycling about half the time, at the US average of 18.3¢ per kWh (EIA, June 2026). How we calculate this
Change the watts, hours or rate
What it costs at other usage levels
| Use | A day | A month | A year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 minutes a day typical | $0.06 | $0.56 | $6.69 |
| 1 hour a day | $0.13 | $1.12 | $13.39 |
| 2 hours a day | $0.26 | $2.23 | $26.78 |
| 4 hours a day | $0.51 | $4.46 | $53.55 |
| 8 hours a day | $1.03 | $8.93 | $107.11 |
| 24 hours a day | $3.08 | $26.78 | $321.32 |
Models range from 1,000 W to 1,800 W (Virginia Cooperative Extension). We use 1,400 W, the middle of that range.
Ways to spend less
- Iron in one session a week instead of several. Saves about $0.28 a month.
- Start with fabrics that need the lowest heat.
- Take clothes out of the dryer promptly so they need less ironing.
What a clothes iron costs to run in every state
| Rank | State | Rate | A month | A year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | 13.1¢ | $0.40 | $4.79 |
| 2 | Nebraska | 13.3¢ | $0.40 | $4.84 |
| 3 | Utah | 13.4¢ | $0.41 | $4.88 |
| 4 | Louisiana | 13.5¢ | $0.41 | $4.92 |
| 5 | Tennessee | 14.1¢ | $0.43 | $5.14 |
| 6 | Arkansas | 14.1¢ | $0.43 | $5.15 |
| 7 | North Dakota | 14.1¢ | $0.43 | $5.15 |
| 8 | Kentucky | 14.3¢ | $0.43 | $5.20 |
| 9 | Oklahoma | 14.3¢ | $0.44 | $5.23 |
| 10 | Idaho | 14.4¢ | $0.44 | $5.25 |
| 11 | North Carolina | 14.7¢ | $0.45 | $5.38 |
| 12 | Mississippi | 14.9¢ | $0.45 | $5.43 |
| 13 | Washington | 14.9¢ | $0.45 | $5.44 |
| 14 | New Mexico | 15.1¢ | $0.46 | $5.50 |
| 15 | Florida | 15.1¢ | $0.46 | $5.51 |
| 16 | Montana | 15.1¢ | $0.46 | $5.53 |
| 17 | Arizona | 15.2¢ | $0.46 | $5.54 |
| 18 | Wyoming | 15.2¢ | $0.46 | $5.56 |
| 19 | South Dakota | 15.4¢ | $0.47 | $5.61 |
| 20 | West Virginia | 15.5¢ | $0.47 | $5.64 |
| 21 | South Carolina | 15.6¢ | $0.47 | $5.68 |
| 22 | Kansas | 15.7¢ | $0.48 | $5.73 |
| 23 | Iowa | 15.9¢ | $0.48 | $5.81 |
| 24 | Texas | 15.9¢ | $0.48 | $5.82 |
| 25 | Missouri | 16.2¢ | $0.49 | $5.92 |
| 26 | Oregon | 16.3¢ | $0.50 | $5.96 |
| 27 | Georgia | 16.4¢ | $0.50 | $5.97 |
| 28 | Alabama | 16.4¢ | $0.50 | $5.99 |
| 29 | Colorado | 17.1¢ | $0.52 | $6.25 |
| 30 | Virginia | 17.2¢ | $0.52 | $6.29 |
| 31 | Indiana | 17.5¢ | $0.53 | $6.39 |
| 32 | Minnesota | 17.5¢ | $0.53 | $6.39 |
| 33 | Ohio | 19.2¢ | $0.58 | $7.00 |
| 34 | Delaware | 19.3¢ | $0.59 | $7.04 |
| 35 | Wisconsin | 19.6¢ | $0.59 | $7.14 |
| 36 | Illinois | 19.9¢ | $0.60 | $7.26 |
| 37 | Pennsylvania | 21.7¢ | $0.66 | $7.93 |
| 38 | Maryland | 21.8¢ | $0.66 | $7.97 |
| 39 | Michigan | 23.0¢ | $0.70 | $8.39 |
| 40 | Connecticut | 24.3¢ | $0.74 | $8.88 |
| 41 | District of Columbia | 24.4¢ | $0.74 | $8.90 |
| 42 | Vermont | 24.4¢ | $0.74 | $8.92 |
| 43 | New Jersey | 25.0¢ | $0.76 | $9.11 |
| 44 | New Hampshire | 27.0¢ | $0.82 | $9.86 |
| 45 | Alaska | 28.2¢ | $0.86 | $10.30 |
| 46 | Rhode Island | 29.2¢ | $0.89 | $10.67 |
| 47 | New York | 29.5¢ | $0.90 | $10.76 |
| 48 | Maine | 29.6¢ | $0.90 | $10.80 |
| 49 | Massachusetts | 29.6¢ | $0.90 | $10.81 |
| 50 | California | 34.7¢ | $1.06 | $12.68 |
| 51 | Hawaii | 52.7¢ | $1.60 | $19.24 |
Questions
How much does it cost to run a clothes iron per hour?
About $0.13 an hour. A clothes iron at 1,400 W uses 0.700 kWh per hour, with its thermostat cycling it on about 50% of the time, and at the US average of 18.3¢ per kWh that comes to $0.13.
How much does a clothes iron add to your electric bill?
Used 30 minutes, twice a week, with the thermostat cycling about half the time, about $0.56 a month, or $6.69 a year.
How much does it cost to run a clothes iron 24 hours a day?
Running nonstop, a clothes iron would use 16.8 kWh a day and cost $3.08 a day, or $93.72 over an average month.
How many watts does a clothes iron use?
Models range from 1,000 W to 1,800 W (Virginia Cooperative Extension). We use 1,400 W, the middle of that range. Check the label on yours: cost scales directly with watts, so a 20% lower wattage means a 20% lower bill.
Which state is cheapest to run a clothes iron in?
Nevada, at 13.1¢ per kWh: $0.40 a month. The most expensive is Hawaii at 52.7¢ per kWh: $1.60 a month. Same appliance, same hours; only the rate differs.
Sources
- Virginia Cooperative Extension: Estimating appliance and home electronic energy use (reproduces U.S. Department of Energy sample wattages)
- Penn State EGEE 102: Typical range of power consumption (wattage)
- U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A: average price of electricity to ultimate customers, residential, June 2026 Figures transcribed from republications of this table on September 26, 2026; pending direct verification from the EIA API.
Usage assumptions (hours a day, season) are ours and listed on the methodology page. Found an error? Tell us.