How much does it cost to run a hair dryer?
A hair dryer drawing 1,500 watts, used about 9 minutes a day, uses about 0.23 kWh per day and costs about $0.04 per day, $1.33 per month, and $15.94 per year at the US average residential rate of 19.4¢/kWh. Enter your own wattage, hours, and state below for an exact figure.
Estimates only — based on typical wattages and average state rates, not your actual bill.
What drives the cost
A hair dryer is one of the highest-wattage devices in a home at up to 1,875 watts, but it runs for only a few minutes. Total cost is small — it's a useful illustration that wattage alone tells you little without runtime.
Cost at different daily usage
Same hair dryer at 1,500 watts, run for different amounts of time, at 19.4¢/kWh.
| Usage | kWh/day | Per day | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 min/day | 0.11 kWh | $0.02 | $0.62 | $7.44 |
| 9 min/day | 0.23 kWh | $0.04 | $1.33 | $15.94 |
| 18 min/day | 0.45 kWh | $0.09 | $2.66 | $31.88 |
| 36 min/day | 0.90 kWh | $0.17 | $5.32 | $63.76 |
Cost by model power draw
Not all models are equal. At 9 min/day, here is what the range costs.
| Model | Power | kWh/day | Per day | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low-draw model | 1,000 W | 0.15 kWh | $0.03 | $0.89 |
| Typical | 1,500 W | 0.23 kWh | $0.04 | $1.33 |
| High-draw model | 1,875 W | 0.28 kWh | $0.05 | $1.66 |
Cost by state
A hair dryer at 1,500 W for 9 min/day, priced at each state's average residential rate.
| State | Rate | Per day | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 16.8¢ | $0.04 | $1.15 | $13.77 |
| Alaska | 28.2¢ | $0.06 | $1.93 | $23.18 |
| Arizona | 15.2¢ | $0.03 | $1.04 | $12.51 |
| Arkansas | 14.4¢ | $0.03 | $0.98 | $11.79 |
| California | 33.2¢ | $0.07 | $2.28 | $27.31 |
| Colorado | 16.2¢ | $0.04 | $1.11 | $13.27 |
| Connecticut | 27.4¢ | $0.06 | $1.87 | $22.48 |
| Delaware | 19.4¢ | $0.04 | $1.33 | $15.92 |
| District of Columbia | 25.4¢ | $0.06 | $1.74 | $20.86 |
| Florida | 15.2¢ | $0.03 | $1.04 | $12.46 |
| Georgia | 15.8¢ | $0.04 | $1.08 | $13.01 |
| Hawaii | 52.0¢ | $0.12 | $3.56 | $42.71 |
| Idaho | 12.3¢ | $0.03 | $0.85 | $10.14 |
| Illinois | 23.9¢ | $0.05 | $1.63 | $19.59 |
| Indiana | 18.1¢ | $0.04 | $1.24 | $14.91 |
| Iowa | 14.1¢ | $0.03 | $0.97 | $11.61 |
| Kansas | 15.1¢ | $0.03 | $1.04 | $12.43 |
| Kentucky | 15.0¢ | $0.03 | $1.03 | $12.30 |
| Louisiana | 14.2¢ | $0.03 | $0.97 | $11.62 |
| Maine | 28.6¢ | $0.06 | $1.96 | $23.51 |
| Maryland | 21.8¢ | $0.05 | $1.49 | $17.88 |
| Massachusetts | 28.8¢ | $0.06 | $1.97 | $23.67 |
| Michigan | 22.0¢ | $0.05 | $1.51 | $18.08 |
| Minnesota | 16.9¢ | $0.04 | $1.16 | $13.92 |
| Mississippi | 16.2¢ | $0.04 | $1.11 | $13.27 |
| Missouri | 13.7¢ | $0.03 | $0.94 | $11.23 |
| Montana | 14.7¢ | $0.03 | $1.00 | $12.05 |
| Nebraska | 13.6¢ | $0.03 | $0.93 | $11.16 |
| Nevada | 13.6¢ | $0.03 | $0.93 | $11.17 |
| New Hampshire | 27.3¢ | $0.06 | $1.87 | $22.44 |
| New Jersey | 23.3¢ | $0.05 | $1.59 | $19.11 |
| New Mexico | 14.1¢ | $0.03 | $0.97 | $11.60 |
| New York | 29.9¢ | $0.07 | $2.05 | $24.58 |
| North Carolina | 15.1¢ | $0.03 | $1.03 | $12.39 |
| North Dakota | 13.6¢ | $0.03 | $0.93 | $11.18 |
| Ohio | 19.5¢ | $0.04 | $1.34 | $16.03 |
| Oklahoma | 13.4¢ | $0.03 | $0.92 | $10.99 |
| Oregon | 16.3¢ | $0.04 | $1.11 | $13.36 |
| Pennsylvania | 21.6¢ | $0.05 | $1.48 | $17.70 |
| Rhode Island | 29.5¢ | $0.07 | $2.02 | $24.19 |
| South Carolina | 16.2¢ | $0.04 | $1.11 | $13.29 |
| South Dakota | 15.7¢ | $0.04 | $1.08 | $12.92 |
| Tennessee | 14.5¢ | $0.03 | $0.99 | $11.88 |
| Texas | 16.4¢ | $0.04 | $1.13 | $13.50 |
| Utah | 13.0¢ | $0.03 | $0.89 | $10.64 |
| Vermont | 24.9¢ | $0.06 | $1.70 | $20.44 |
| Virginia | 17.6¢ | $0.04 | $1.21 | $14.46 |
| Washington | 14.9¢ | $0.03 | $1.02 | $12.28 |
| West Virginia | 16.8¢ | $0.04 | $1.15 | $13.80 |
| Wisconsin | 19.7¢ | $0.04 | $1.35 | $16.21 |
| Wyoming | 14.8¢ | $0.03 | $1.01 | $12.15 |
How to cut the cost
- Towel-dry first to shorten drying time.
- Use a lower heat setting where practical.
- Nothing here will meaningfully change your bill — this is a low-priority target.
Compare with related appliances
Monthly cost at typical usage and 19.4¢/kWh.
Questions
Do hair dryers use a lot of electricity?
High wattage, tiny runtime. At a few minutes a day, a hair dryer costs very little per month despite drawing as much as a space heater.
How do you calculate what a hair dryer costs to run?
Multiply its wattage by the hours it runs per day, divide by 1,000 to get kilowatt-hours, then multiply by your electricity rate. For a hair dryer: 1,500 W × 0.15 h ÷ 1,000 = 0.23 kWh per day, which at 19.4¢/kWh is $0.04 per day.
How many watts does a hair dryer use?
Typically 1,500 watts, with most models falling between 1,000 and 1,875 watts. The label on the appliance or its power supply gives the figure for your specific unit.