How Much Does It Cost to Run a Hair Straightener in the UK? (2026)

Flat irons and curling irons heat quickly to a set temperature and then cycle, so they average only 30 to 150 watts in use. Their cost is negligible.

A typical hair straightener (60 W) costs £0.016 per hour, or about £0.12 per month at 0.25 hours a day in the UK. Cheap to run

Electricity price region

Hours used per day

Wattage	Per hour	Per day	Per month	Per year
Low 30 W	£0.008	£0.002	£0.059	£0.72
Typical 60 W	£0.016	£0.004	£0.12	£1.44
High 150 W	£0.039	£0.010	£0.30	£3.60

Formula: watts ÷ 1000 × hours × price per kWh. Typical use is 0.25 h/day ≈ 5 kWh per year.

One day of a hair straightener (1.4 kWh) is the same electricity as

8.0km in an electric car
14hours of TV
32hours of a laptop
160hours of an LED bulb

Electricity per year at typical use, on a log scale: #3 of 95 appliances, from least to most.

In the UK, with electricity at 26.3p per kWh (source: Ofgem price cap 1 Oct–31 Dec 2026, 2026-10), a typical hair straightener costs £0.016 per hour and about £1.44 per year at 0.25 hours a day. Each £1.00 of electricity buys roughly 63.3 hours of use.

How to lower the cost of running a hair straightener

Turn it off as soon as you finish. Leaving it on is the only meaningful cost, and a fire risk.
Use the lowest temperature that works for your hair.
Straighten dry hair. Damp hair takes longer and damages more.

Frequently asked questions

How much electricity does a hair straightener use?

Around 0.015 kWh per 15 minute session, a fraction of a cent.

Does a straightener use power when on but idle?

Yes, it cycles to hold temperature, similar to in-use draw.

Are high-wattage straighteners more expensive to run?

Not meaningfully. Session times are short.

Cost by region

US states

Canadian provinces

Related appliances

Use the generic electricity cost calculator · Which uses more? Take the quiz