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How Much Does It Cost to Run a Hair Dryer in California? (2026)
Hair dryers are among the highest-wattage appliances in the house, but they run for minutes. Ten minutes a day at 1,800 watts is about 0.3 kWh.
A typical hair dryer (1,800 W) costs $0.63 per hour, or about $2.84 per month at 0.15 hours a day in California. Cheap to run
| Wattage | Per hour | Per day | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low (1,200 W) | $0.42 | $0.063 | $1.89 | $23.00 |
| Typical (1,800 W) | $0.63 | $0.095 | $2.84 | $34.49 |
| High (2,200 W) | $0.77 | $0.12 | $3.46 | $42.16 |
Formula: watts ÷ 1000 × hours × price per kWh. Typical use is 0.15 h/day ≈ 99 kWh per year.
In California, with electricity at $0.35 per kWh (source: EIA Table 5.6.A, 2026-06), a typical hair dryer costs $0.63 per hour and about $34.49 per year at 0.15 hours a day. That is about 94% more than the US national average of $1.46 per month, because electricity in California costs $0.35 per kWh against $0.18 nationally. Each $1.00 of electricity buys roughly 1.6 hours of use.
How to lower the cost of running a hair dryer
- Towel dry first to cut drying time in half.
- Use a lower heat setting with high airflow.
- Keep the intake filter clean so the motor does not strain.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to use a hair dryer for 10 minutes?
About 0.3 kWh, a few cents almost anywhere.
Do hair dryers use a lot of electricity?
Per minute yes, per year no. Even daily use is under 100 kWh a year.
Is a lower wattage hair dryer cheaper to run?
It draws less but takes longer, so the total energy per dry is similar.
Cost by region
- United States (average)
- California
- Texas
- New York
- Florida
- Canada (average)
- United Kingdom
- Germany
- France
- Australia
- India