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How Much Does It Cost to Run a Golf Cart Charger in California? (2026)

A golf cart battery pack holds 4 to 8 kWh, and charging from a deep discharge takes 6 to 10 hours. Lead-acid packs waste 20 to 30 percent of the electricity in charging losses; lithium packs waste far less.

A typical golf cart charger (900 W) costs $0.32 per hour, or about $56.70 per month at 6 hours a day in California. Expensive to run

Electricity price region Hours used per day

Wattage	Per hour	Per day	Per month	Per year
Low (500 W)	$0.17	$1.05	$31.50	$383.25
Typical (900 W)	$0.32	$1.89	$56.70	$689.85
High (1,500 W)	$0.52	$3.15	$94.50	$1,150

Formula: watts ÷ 1000 × hours × price per kWh. Typical use is 6 h/day ≈ 1,971 kWh per year.

In California, with electricity at $0.35 per kWh (source: EIA Table 5.6.A, 2026-06), a typical golf cart charger costs $0.32 per hour and about $689.85 per year at 6 hours a day. That is about 94% more than the US national average of $29.16 per month, because electricity in California costs $0.35 per kWh against $0.18 nationally. Each $1.00 of electricity buys roughly 3.2 hours of use.

How to lower the cost of running a golf cart charger

Charge after every use rather than running batteries down fully. It is better for the battery and slightly more efficient.
Keep lead-acid batteries topped up with water.
Switching to lithium cuts charging energy by around 20 percent.

In standby it draws about 3 W, which adds roughly 26 kWh ($9.20) per year if it is never unplugged.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to charge a golf cart?

About 5 to 8 kWh per full charge. Pick your region for the cost.

Does a golf cart charger use power when the cart is full?

A few watts on smart chargers that maintain the battery.

How much does a golf cart cost to run per mile?

Roughly 0.2 to 0.3 kWh per mile, cheaper than any car.

Cost by region

Related appliances

Use the generic electricity cost calculator →