How much does a vacuum cleaner cost to run?
$0.97 a month
- A day of use
- $0.22
- An hour of running
- $0.22
- A year
- $11.67
1,220 W, 1 hour a week, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 hour a day typical | $0.22 | $0.97 | $11.67 |
| 2 hours a day | $0.45 | $1.94 | $23.33 |
| 4 hours a day | $0.89 | $3.89 | $46.67 |
| 8 hours a day | $1.79 | $7.78 | $93.33 |
| 24 hours a day | $5.37 | $23.33 | $280.00 |
Models range from 1,000 W to 1,440 W (Virginia Cooperative Extension). We use 1,220 W, the middle of that range.
Ways to spend less
- Empty the bag or bin before it is full; suction drops as it fills.
- Clean the filter so the motor doesn't have to work harder.
- Use the lowest suction setting that does the job on hard floors.
What a vacuum cleaner costs to run in every state
| Rank | State | Rate | A month | A year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | 13.1¢ | $0.69 | $8.34 |
| 2 | Nebraska | 13.3¢ | $0.70 | $8.43 |
| 3 | Utah | 13.4¢ | $0.71 | $8.51 |
| 4 | Louisiana | 13.5¢ | $0.72 | $8.58 |
| 5 | Tennessee | 14.1¢ | $0.75 | $8.95 |
| 6 | Arkansas | 14.1¢ | $0.75 | $8.98 |
| 7 | North Dakota | 14.1¢ | $0.75 | $8.98 |
| 8 | Kentucky | 14.3¢ | $0.76 | $9.07 |
| 9 | Oklahoma | 14.3¢ | $0.76 | $9.12 |
| 10 | Idaho | 14.4¢ | $0.76 | $9.14 |
| 11 | North Carolina | 14.7¢ | $0.78 | $9.38 |
| 12 | Mississippi | 14.9¢ | $0.79 | $9.47 |
| 13 | Washington | 14.9¢ | $0.79 | $9.48 |
| 14 | New Mexico | 15.1¢ | $0.80 | $9.58 |
| 15 | Florida | 15.1¢ | $0.80 | $9.61 |
| 16 | Montana | 15.1¢ | $0.80 | $9.63 |
| 17 | Arizona | 15.2¢ | $0.80 | $9.66 |
| 18 | Wyoming | 15.2¢ | $0.81 | $9.69 |
| 19 | South Dakota | 15.4¢ | $0.81 | $9.77 |
| 20 | West Virginia | 15.5¢ | $0.82 | $9.83 |
| 21 | South Carolina | 15.6¢ | $0.82 | $9.89 |
| 22 | Kansas | 15.7¢ | $0.83 | $9.99 |
| 23 | Iowa | 15.9¢ | $0.84 | $10.13 |
| 24 | Texas | 15.9¢ | $0.85 | $10.14 |
| 25 | Missouri | 16.2¢ | $0.86 | $10.32 |
| 26 | Oregon | 16.3¢ | $0.87 | $10.38 |
| 27 | Georgia | 16.4¢ | $0.87 | $10.41 |
| 28 | Alabama | 16.4¢ | $0.87 | $10.43 |
| 29 | Colorado | 17.1¢ | $0.91 | $10.90 |
| 30 | Virginia | 17.2¢ | $0.91 | $10.95 |
| 31 | Indiana | 17.5¢ | $0.93 | $11.14 |
| 32 | Minnesota | 17.5¢ | $0.93 | $11.15 |
| 33 | Ohio | 19.2¢ | $1.02 | $12.21 |
| 34 | Delaware | 19.3¢ | $1.02 | $12.27 |
| 35 | Wisconsin | 19.6¢ | $1.04 | $12.44 |
| 36 | Illinois | 19.9¢ | $1.05 | $12.65 |
| 37 | Pennsylvania | 21.7¢ | $1.15 | $13.82 |
| 38 | Maryland | 21.8¢ | $1.16 | $13.89 |
| 39 | Michigan | 23.0¢ | $1.22 | $14.62 |
| 40 | Connecticut | 24.3¢ | $1.29 | $15.47 |
| 41 | District of Columbia | 24.4¢ | $1.29 | $15.52 |
| 42 | Vermont | 24.4¢ | $1.30 | $15.55 |
| 43 | New Jersey | 25.0¢ | $1.32 | $15.87 |
| 44 | New Hampshire | 27.0¢ | $1.43 | $17.18 |
| 45 | Alaska | 28.2¢ | $1.50 | $17.95 |
| 46 | Rhode Island | 29.2¢ | $1.55 | $18.59 |
| 47 | New York | 29.5¢ | $1.56 | $18.76 |
| 48 | Maine | 29.6¢ | $1.57 | $18.82 |
| 49 | Massachusetts | 29.6¢ | $1.57 | $18.84 |
| 50 | California | 34.7¢ | $1.84 | $22.10 |
| 51 | Hawaii | 52.7¢ | $2.79 | $33.54 |
Questions
How much does it cost to run a vacuum cleaner per hour?
About $0.22 an hour. A vacuum cleaner at 1,220 W uses 1.22 kWh per hour, and at the US average of 18.3¢ per kWh that comes to $0.22.
How much does a vacuum cleaner add to your electric bill?
Used 1 hour a week, about $0.97 a month, or $11.67 a year.
How much does it cost to run a vacuum cleaner 24 hours a day?
Running nonstop, a vacuum cleaner would use 29.3 kWh a day and cost $5.37 a day, or $163.34 over an average month.
How many watts does a vacuum cleaner use?
Models range from 1,000 W to 1,440 W (Virginia Cooperative Extension). We use 1,220 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 vacuum cleaner in?
Nevada, at 13.1¢ per kWh: $0.69 a month. The most expensive is Hawaii at 52.7¢ per kWh: $2.79 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.