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How Much Does It Cost to Run a Hair Dryer in the US? (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 $0.32 per hour, or about $1.46 per month at 0.15 hours a day in United States (average). Cheap to run
| Wattage | Per hour | Per day | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low (1,200 W) | $0.22 | $0.032 | $0.97 | $11.83 |
| Typical (1,800 W) | $0.32 | $0.049 | $1.46 | $17.74 |
| High (2,200 W) | $0.40 | $0.059 | $1.78 | $21.68 |
Formula: watts ÷ 1000 × hours × price per kWh. Typical use is 0.15 h/day ≈ 99 kWh per year.
In the US, with electricity at $0.18 per kWh (source: EIA Electric Power Monthly, 2026-06), a typical hair dryer costs $0.32 per hour and about $17.74 per year at 0.15 hours a day. Each $1.00 of electricity buys roughly 3.1 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